At least 50 people were killed in Nigeria when fuel from a crashed truck that they were collecting caught fire, a spokesman for the governor in central Benue state said on Tuesday.

"A tanker loaded with fuel fell yesterday (Monday) and people were scooping its products when it caught fire, killing over 50 persons," the spokesman said.

Others were badly injured and taken to hospital, he said.

"We have removed at least 10 dead bodies from the scene of the incident while over 50 people were affected," Benue state Federal Road Safety Commission Sector Commander Aliyu Baba told AFP.

"Owing to the nature of the inferno, I am afraid more discoveries might be made today as rescue efforts continue."

A local council spokesman put the number of dead much higher at 64, but police refused to confirm any toll.

Witness Paul Otukpa said a 14-seater bus was engulfed by the blast, leaving only one survivor.

Petrol tanker and pipeline blasts are common in Nigeria, where despite the country's multi-billion-dollar oil and gas industry, most people live in poverty.

Fires and explosions often occur as people try to siphon fuel from pipelines and also following accidents involving fuel tankers on badly maintained roads.

In January, at least eight people were killed in Odukpani, in the southeastern state of Cross River, in an accident of this kind.

In July 2012, at least 104 people were killed and some 50 others injured in the southern state of Rivers.