According to reports, over 50 people have been confirmed dead, including a pregnant woman and her child, in a tanker explosion that occurred in Dikko along the Abuja/Kaduna expressway.
The tanker carrying petrol had an accident, and people living in that axis saw it as an avenue to scoop fuel from the tanker. Some brought jerricans, and some brought generators, which led to the explosion, according to an eyewitness.
Not only lives were lost, but properties in millions were also affected by the blaze.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the casualty figure on Saturday. Abdullahi Baba Arah, the agency’s director general, said the whole incident happened at 9am along the Dikko-Maje road opposite Baddegi fuelling station.
He 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 spilling 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 deaths, injured many, and destroyed properties estimated in millions.”
Arah said that the agency was working in collaboration with NEMA, Suleja local government area Emergency Committee and volunteers to carry out search, rescue and recovery operation to rescue the injured who have been moved to hospital for treatment and recover copses.
WATCH: Scores Feared Dead Including Pregnant Woman As Fuel Tanker Explodes In Niger State | Sahara Reporters https://t.co/jloHSpGmOD pic.twitter.com/0vqpeYk44t
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) January 18, 2025
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