Nairobi - At least 91 people have died in Kenya after an overturned tanker truck from which they were siphoning petrol exploded, an official said Sunday.

Rift Valley provincial commissioner Noor Hassan Noor said the accident happened on Saturday evening near the town of Molo, north-west of the capital Nairobi.

The death toll, many of them believed to be women and children, is expected to rise. Some reports suggest it could reach 130.

More than 150 people were hospitalized with injuries.

Hundreds of people rushed to the tanker to collect fuel in jerrycans after they heard it had crashed and was leaking.

Police officers and members of the paramilitary General Service Unit who were attempting to secure the scene were believed to be among the victims.

Bodies were found scattered around the tanker and in the nearby forest as those who tried to flee the fire succumbed to their injuries.

There were conflicting reports about how the fire started.

One witness claimed the fire was started deliberately by a local man after an argument with police officers, who were allegedly demanding a fee to allow people to collect fuel.

"I heard someone saying that they were going to avenge the fee by starting a fire and left the scene fearing for my life," the witness told the Daily Nation. "Moments later, I heard the explosion."

Relatives of victims flocked to the scene and to nearby hospitals.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said a government delegation was on its way to join the Kenyan Red Cross, police, ambulance services and firefighters.

"I want to send my condolences, and call on people to remain calm," Kalonzo said on television channel KTN. "This is obviously a trial for Kenya."

Newspapers criticized the response to the explosion, saying firefighters took too long to arrive on the scene.

The tragedy came just days after a supermarket fire in the capital Nairobi claimed the lives of at least 25 people, a figure that was also expected to rise.

The authorities were also blasted for their response to that fire.

It was not the first time people looking for free fuel have been killed in Africa.

Similar incidents have occurred in Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria in recent years, causing hundreds of deaths. (dpa)