Deaths from Sierra Leone tanker blast rise to 144

FILE PHOTO: Coffins containing the remains of victims of the fuel tanker explosion are pictured during a burial ceremony at a cemetery in Freetown, Sierra Leone November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ibrahim S Miles Kamara/File Photo

FREETOWN (Reuters) - The death toll from a fuel tanker explosion in Sierra Leone's capital on Nov. 5 has risen to 144 from a previous estimate of 115, health ministry data showed on Saturday.

The tanker exploded following a collision in a suburb of Freetown. Victims included people who had flocked to collect fuel leaking from the ruptured vehicle.