No fewer than 50 people have lost their lives in a devastating petrol tanker explosion that occurred on Saturday along Dikko-Maje Road in the Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to reports, many others also suffered varying degrees of injury while attempting to scoop up fuel after a petrol tanker spilled its contents.
The State Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander, Kumar Tsukwam, confirmed the news in Minna.
Tsukwam said a loaded petrol tanker fell at the scene of the incident, with people scooping the spilling fuel, unaware of the impending danger.
He said those who went to scoop fuel were engulfed by the flames, just as those who went to rescue them were also affected.
Tsukwam said: “More than 50 people lost their lives in the tragic incident.”
He assured, however, that personnel from the corps and other agencies were at the scene for rescue operations.
In the same vein, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, said the explosion occurred at 9.00 am on Saturday.
Baba-Arah said: “The incident occurred when a tanker loaded with PMS crashed, and an attempt was made by the drivers to transfer its contents to a second tanker.
“In the process, the spelling PMS came in contact with a generator that was used to power the transfer process, triggering an explosion of flames that has caused over 50 death injured many and destroyed properties estimated in millions.”
Baba-Arah stated that the agency is collaborating with NEMA, the Suleja local government area Emergency Committee, and volunteers to conduct search, rescue, and recovery operations, aiming to rescue the injured, and recover corpses.
The explosion occurred just three months after the previous one, which resulted in multiple fatalities.
Persecondnews recalls that on October 25, 2024, in Majiya, Jigawa State, the driver of a petrol tanker lost control, spilling petrol, which exploded and killing 209 people and injuring 124 others.
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