At least 30 people have died and more than 40 others were injured in a tanker explosion in Niger State, Nigeria.
The tragic incident happened on Tuesday morning in Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha District. Reports indicate that the victims were scooping fuel from an overturned tanker when it suddenly exploded, killing many on the spot. Several bodies were burnt beyond recognition.
Witnesses said the injured were quickly taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. The explosion caused panic in the area, with emergency teams and residents working together to put out the fire and rescue survivors.
Speaking about the tragedy, the Niger State Chairman of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Tanker Drivers Branch, Farouk Mohammed Kawo, confirmed that the tanker was transporting fuel from Lagos to northern Nigeria.
He expressed concern that more than 30 tanker trucks have been involved in accidents on the same route in October alone. Kawo also blamed residents for the dangerous practice of collecting fuel from accident scenes, saying a similar incident had happened recently when a groundnut oil tanker overturned and locals rushed to scoop its contents.
He appealed to the Niger State Government, led by Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, to urgently repair and maintain the damaged road to prevent more deaths and property loss.
Efforts to get a comment from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were unsuccessful by the time of reporting.