Mirian Gom 
MINNA, Nigeria – The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that the death toll from the petrol tanker explosion in Essa community, along the Bida–Badeggi–Agaie road, Niger State, has risen to 45.
Head of Operations at NEMA Minna Office, Hussaini Isah, said 63 others sustained severe burns. “The fatalities comprise 12 males, 27 females, and six children,” he reported on Friday.
According to NEMA, the explosion was triggered by a bad road section, causing the tanker to overturn and ignite. Many casualties were fuel scoopers caught in the ensuing fire.
Victims were initially treated at local health centres before being transferred to hospitals in Bida and Abuja. Fourteen critical cases were referred to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.
Emergency responders, including police, NSCDC, FRSC, and community volunteers, assisted in the rescue operations despite challenges posed by traffic congestion and poor road conditions.
The Niger State Government has provided drugs to hospitals and promised relief materials for victims’ families.
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