ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 70 people have died in north-central Nigeria after a gasoline tanker exploded, the country’s emergency response agency said.

The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from one tanker into another truck using a generator.

The fuel transfer sparked the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the gasoline and bystanders, Hussaini Isah, of the National Emergency Management Agency, told the Associated Press.

Search and rescue operations were underway, Isah said.

With the absence of an efficient railway system to transport cargo, fatal truck accidents are common along most of the major roads in Nigeria.

In September, an explosion killed at least 48 people in Niger state after gasoline tanker collided with another truck conveying cattle.

— The Associated Press