A yet to be ascertained number of people died on Saturday when a tanker laden with petroleum product exploded in the Suleja Local Government Area of North Central in Niger state of Nigeria.
Witnesses estimated the disaster killed 77 people who had rushed to collect fuel from the scene, officials of the FRSC say.
The tanker overturned and spilled its contents, with residents rushing to scoop fuel.
Officials have told BBC News that the tanker exploded moments after people began scooping up fuel, killing dozens and leaving 25 others injured, including rescuers.
According to officials the explosion occurred when oil tanker had accident, attempted to transfer fuel to another tanker.
Officials said scores of others injured.
The Commander of Niger State’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kumar Tsukwam, confirmed the incident, saying scores of others were injured while attempting to scoop fuel from a petrol tanker that had spilled on the road.
“So far, 60 corpses have been recovered from the scene,” Tsukwam said in a statement. He, however, added that all FRSC personnel and other agencies are still on the scene carrying out rescue operations.
In a separate statement, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, director general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), explained that the explosion occurred when one oil tanker collided with another tanker and later attempted to transfer the oil.
While this was going on, the petrol came into contact with a generator used to complete the transfer, resulting in an explosion that killed and injured many.
He added that property valued at millions of naira, the currency of the West African nation, which currently exchanges at about 1,560 to the US dollar, was destroyed in the blaze.
Those injured in Saturday’s explosion are being treated in nearby hospitals, the emergency management agency said.
Nigeria has seen a number of similar incidents in recent months, with high casualties. Critics blamed the frequent tanker explosions on the deplorable state of roads.
Also, critics slammed the current economic hardship faced by the citizens, saying the unbearable economic condition pushes the poor citizens to rush to scoop petrol not minding the danger posed by the venture. (With Agency Report)
