A fuel tanker exploded in Tanzania on Saturday, killing 61 people and injuring 65, many of whom were siphoning petrol from the vehicle, which had crashed, state broadcaster TBC Taifa said.

The explosion occurred around 200 km (120 miles) west of the capital Dar es Salaam.

“We have been saddened by reports of an accident involving a fuel truck in Morogoro, which caught fire and burnt several people,” government spokesman Hassan Abbasi said on Twitter.

According to eye witnesses, the truck was travelling at speed and overturned while trying to avoid a motorcyclist. 

The crash reportedly attracted a large crowd after the tanker's cargo began to leak, with many rushing to collect the fuel in buckets.

Local reports say were more than 150 people at the scene when the truck exploded around 20 minutes after the accident.

Images circulating on social media show large flames and thick black smoke rising from the wreckage, alongside dozens of motorbikes and dead bodies scattered around.