An oil tanker truck exploded on Monday at a crowded bus station in the southern Nigerian state of Anambra, killing at least 69 people and wounding dozens of others, the Nigerian Red Cross said.

The petrol tanker exploded at the bus station in Onitsha, the state capital, and started a huge fire that also spread to many other vehicles, including 15 buses, Xinhua reported.

Victims have been rushed to hospitals for treatment, said a Red Cross staffer.

State police chief Hosea Karma said the incident was "tragic and unfortunate".

He said the tanker was coming from Oguta Road and was trying to link up with Owerri Road when the driver lost control.

The police chief said the victims inside the buses were burnt beyond recognition.

"Scores of other victims, who were still alive, were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital," he added.

The death toll may rise as some of the injured were being treated for severe burns.