At least 30 people have reportedly died, while about 40 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fuel tanker explosion that occurred on Tuesday in Niger State.
According to Channels Television, the tragic incident took place around 11:00 a.m. at Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the victims were scooping fuel from a tanker that had earlier fallen when it suddenly exploded, igniting a massive inferno that consumed many.
Several of the victims were said to have been burnt beyond recognition, while the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention.
Confirming the development, the Chairman of the Niger State Tanker Drivers Association and National Ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Comrade Farouk Kawo, described the incident as both “devastating and avoidable.”
He explained that the ill-fated tanker was transporting petroleum products from Lagos to the northern part of the country when it crashed.
Kawo further revealed that over 30 tanker-related accidents had already occurred along the Bida–Agaie route in October alone, attributing the frequent crashes to the deplorable condition of the road.
He expressed concern over the continued practice by some residents who rush to collect fuel from accident scenes despite repeated warnings.
“Just last Sunday, a tanker carrying groundnut oil also crashed in the same area, and residents rushed to scoop the product,” he lamented.
Efforts to reach the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, proved unsuccessful, as calls to his mobile line went unanswered as of press time.
Meanwhile, the NUPENG official urged Governor Umaru Bago to urgently fix the affected portion of the road to avert further tragedies and safeguard lives and property.
