Local authorities in the Dikko region of northern Nigeria have reported that at least 60 people have died and more have been injured as a result of the fuel tanker explosion.
People rushed to scoop up the spilled gasoline after the truck overturned, according to Kumar Tsukwam, a sector commander for Niger State for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). “The tanker burst into flames, engulfing another tanker”, he said in a statement.
“Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition”, Tsukwam said. He continued, “We are at the scene right now,” noting that firefighters had managed to extinguish the flames.
The governor of Niger, Mohammed Bago, confirmed the incident in a statement and claimed many people were reportedly killed in the tanker explosion.
He described the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate”.
Tanker accidents common
Difficulty number of people have died in the country’s oil-producing nation because of its worst cost of living crisis in a generation.
Since President Bola Tinubu removed a decades-old subsidy when he took office in May 2023, the price of gasoline has increased by more than 400 percent in Nigeria. Many people have been put at risk of their lives by recovering fuel from tanker truck accidents.
After a nearly identical incident occurred in the Jigawa State, which is located in northern Nigeria, in October 2024, more than 150 people were killed.
A growing crowd gathered around an overturned tanker to collect fuel to be sold on the black market, which also injured about 100 other people. Numerous victims were interred together in a massive funeral organized by the authorities.
Another 59 people were killed in Niger State in September of the same year when a fuel tanker and a truck carrying passengers and cattle collided.
After the October incident, Nigerian President Tinubu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reviewing and enhancing fuel transportation safety protocols.  , He also said police would strengthen measures to prevent further accidents, including increased patrols, stricter enforcement of safety regulations, and other highway safety mechanisms.
Source: Aljazeera
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