Nigeria's Red Cross says 69 people are dead after a petrol tanker exploded in a crowded bus station, setting a dozen buses carrying passengers ablaze.

The Associated Press reports that according to witnesses, firefighters took an hour to quench the flames. About 30 other victims were taken to hospital with severe burns.

It is believed the brakes failed on the tanker when it crashed into the busy station in Onitsha, the capital of southern Anambra state.

Road accidents are the third leading cause of death in the most populous African state.