At least 98 killed after oil tanker explodes in Sierra Leone

People gather at the scene of the explosion (Seima Camara/AP)

An oil tanker exploded near Sierra Leone’s capital, killing at least 98 people and severely injuring dozens of others after large crowds gathered to collect leaking fuel, officials and witnesses said Saturday.

The explosion took place late Friday, when the tanker collided with another vehicle as it was pulling into a petrol station near a busy intersection in Wellington, just east of the capital of Freetown, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.