Thirty-seven people burnt to death in southeast Nigeria after a petrol tanker lost control, rammed into a busy bus station and burst into flames, police said Monday.

"The lorry lost control and ran into a motor park (bus station) near (a) roundabout in Onitsha," the capital of Anambra state, area police spokesman Uchenna Ezeh said of the crash on Sunday.  

"It burst into flames and 37 people lost their lives in the inferno while seven others were injured," he told AFP, adding it was not clear why the lorry's driver lost control but there was no sign of foul play.