JUBA: The death toll rose to 193 in South Sudan’s fuel tanker explosion Saturday as the government declared three days of mourning.

More patients have succumbed to their injuries, said Patrick Raphael Zamoi, the governor of Western Equatoria state where the explosion happened Wednesday.

“That is a very unfortunate situation,” Information Minister Michael Makuei told reporters, adding President Salva Kiir had declared three days of national mourning.

“All the flags are expected to be at half mast with effect from today. The president and the government extend heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims,” he added.

The incident occurred on Wednesday on a road some 250 kms west of the capital Juba, close to the small town of Maridi, with the victims including locals who tried to scoop up the fuel spill.

Hundreds of people had gathered to scoop gasoline from a leaking truck which had veered into a ditch outside Maridi town when the tank exploded under unclear circumstances.

Zamoi told The Associated Press the death toll is likely higher because the official count only includes those who died on the spot or in hospital. Others may still be unaccounted for or may have died at home, he said.

Thirty new badly burned patients have arrived at Maridi hospital, and two helicopters carrying a ton of supplies and another surgeon have been dispatched from the capital Juba, said Layal Horanieh of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Ministry of Health made an urgent public appeal for blood donations to treat injured patients who were evacuated to Juba for better care. Survivors told AP there was a shortage of medical staff in Maridi because people had fled recent clashes involving the national army. Heavy gunfire between the army and unknown gunmen continued Thursday in a nearby area of Western Equatoria, the UN said. Deadly fuel tanker explosions are common in East Africa, where poor residents living near highways converge around fuel tankers after accidents to steal gas. Local media reports said doctors were struggling to cope with limited supplies to treat severe burns, including a lack of painkillers. The local government director of Maridi, John Saki, told South Sudan’s Gurtong news site that about a thousand people crowded around the tanker to gather fuel after it crashed on the roadside, with many coming from a nearby school.