One person has died and 12 others injured after a fuel tanker rammed several vehicles in southeastern Nigeria.

The accident occurred on the Nteje-Awka expressway in Umunya, Anambra State on Saturday.

Police said the driver of the fuel tanker was “speeding”, when he lost control of the vehicle and rammed five other vehicles, including a minibus.

A total of 26 people were caught in the accident, with one fatality confirmed and 12 injuries recorded, Anambra State's road safety senior officer, Adeoye Irelewuyi, said.

“A driver of one of the crushed cars died on the spot, while 13 other people escaped the accident unhurt,” Irelewuyi told the News Agency of Nigeria.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, the road safety senior officer said.