At least 99 people have died after a massive explosion when a fuel tanker collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown.
A further 100 casualties have been admitted for treatment at hospitals and clinics across the capital.
The majority of the victims were street vendors and motorcyclists, many of whom were caught in the blaze while trying to retrieve fuel leaking from the tanker before it ignited.
Images shared widely online showed several badly burned victims lying on the streets as fire blazed through shops and houses nearby.
President Julius Maada Bio said he was “deeply disturbed by the tragic fires and the horrendous loss of life”.
In a tweet, he said his government would do “everything to support the affected families”.
The explosion is believed to have happened at a junction outside the busy Choithram Supermarket in the densely populated Wellington suburb in the east of the city at around 22:00 GMT on Friday.
The port city of Freetown, which is home to just over a million people, has faced several serious disasters in recent years.
