No fewer than 30 people have been feared dead and about 40 others injured in a tragic tanker explosion that rocked Essan and Badeggi communities along the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State on Tuesday.
The incident, which occurred around 11:00 a.m., reportedly happened when residents rushed to scoop fuel from a fallen petrol tanker before it suddenly exploded, igniting a massive inferno that engulfed scores of people.
Eyewitnesses told News Point Nigeria that many victims were burnt beyond recognition, while survivors with severe burns were evacuated to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Confirming the incident, Comrade Farouk Kawo, Chairman of the Niger State Tanker Drivers Association and National Ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), described the tragedy as “devastating and completely avoidable.”
He explained that the ill-fated tanker was conveying petroleum products from Lagos to the northern part of the country when it crashed, spilling its contents.
“More than 30 tanker accidents have been recorded along the Bida–Agaie road this October alone,” Kawo lamented, blaming the recurring tragedies on the deplorable condition of the road.
“Despite repeated warnings, people still rush to scoop fuel from accident scenes, putting their lives at great risk,” he added.
He recalled that only two days earlier, another tanker conveying groundnut oil crashed in the same area, attracting residents who rushed to collect the spilled contents.
Efforts to reach the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, for comments were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Kawo appealed to Governor Umaru Bago to urgently repair the dangerous stretch of the Bida–Agaie road to prevent further loss of lives and property.