A tanker explosion is said to have killed at least 30 individuals and injured about 40 others in varying degrees.
According to information received, the event happened Tuesday morning between the Katcha local government area’s Essan and Badeggi settlements along the Bida-Agaie route.
Witnesses claim that the explosion occurred when the victims were collecting petroleum products from the overturned tanker, leaving some bodies completely burned.
According to them, those hurt were taken to local hospitals for immediate care.
The tanker was carrying petroleum products from Lagos to the North, according to Farouk Mohammed Kawo, the Chairman of the Niger State Tanker Drivers and NUPENG, who confirmed the occurrence.
Kawo bemoaned the fact that in October alone, more than thirty tanker trailers were involved in accidents in the same location.
Citing a recent instance in which a groundnut oil tanker overturned and its contents were scooped by locals, he further criticized the practice of the community to collect oil from vehicles that are prone to accidents.
The chairman urged the administration of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to grade the damaged road immediately in order to stop additional property damage and fatalities.
He went on to stress the necessity of government action to address the state’s frequent traffic accidents.
As of the time this article was filed, attempts to obtain confirmation from the state’s Federal Road Safety Corps, or FRSC, were unsuccessful.
