- NEW: Villagers had been scooping fuel with buckets
- NEW: The fire has been extinguished
- At least 18 people were seriously injured, an official says
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Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- At least 95 bodies were recovered after a fire that followed a gasoline tanker spill Thursday in Nigeria, government officials said.
The incident took place in Rivers State, located in the country's oil-rich southern region.
Muhammed Indabawa, the state's police commissioner, said the accident occurred about 5 a.m. Villagers had been scooping up the spilled gasoline with buckets when the fire was sparked, authorities said.
Yushau Shuaib of the National Emergency Management Agency said the injured have been taken to a hospital and at least 18 people are seriously hurt. Women and children are among the victims. He said the fire has been extinguished and the area has been cordoned off.
Crews were cleaning up the area, controlling traffic, and tending to the injured.
CNN's Aliza Kassim contributed to this report
