Fuel tanker blast kills 18 in Nigeria's southeast

The latest accidents follow a similar blast in Jigawa state in October that killed 147 people - one of the worst such tragedies in Africa's most populous nation. 

The truck involved in Saturday's incident suffered brake failure and the driver lost control, crashing into more than a dozen vehicles on an expressway in Enugu state, Federal Road Safety Corps spokesperson Olusegun Ogungbemide said in a statement.

He said 10 injured people were rescued and another three were unharmed.

"Unfortunately, the remaining 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition," Ogungbemide said.

Accidents involving fuel tanker trucks have become common in Africa's largest oil producer, which authorities blame on bad roads and reckless driving, often with dozens of fatalities.