At least 48 people have died after a fuel tanker exploded after colliding with another vehicle in Nigeria today.

"The death toll is 48," the spokesman for the Nigerian state governor confirmed in a statement to the media.

The explosion occurred when a tanker loaded with petrol collided with a truck carrying cattle and traders in Angei district in the north-central state of Nigeria, said Abdullahi Baba Arah, head of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA). .

He said the agency's Rapid Response Team (RRT) is already conducting search and response operation at the scene.

The governor of the Nigerian state, Mohammed Umaru Bago, described the incident as unfortunate, expressing his condolences to the families and communities of the victims.