139 dead, more than 100 injured in Pakistan oil tanker fire

Rescue workers gather around the burnt remains of an oil tanker which caught fire following an accident on a highway near the town of Ahmedpur East, some 670 kilometres (416 miles) from Islamabad on June 25, 2017. - AFP

Ahmedpur East (Pakistan) (AFP) - An overturned oil tanker exploded in a huge fireball in Pakistan Sunday, killing at least 139 people and injuring scores as crowds scavenging for fuel ignored warnings to stay clear, officials and witnesses said.

The horrific early morning tragedy came hours before Pakistan was due to begin Eid al-Fitr celebrations marking the end of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.