FRSC Confirms 60 Dead Bodies From Niger Tanker Explosion
- Officials fear death toll likely to rise
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says no fewer than 60 bodies have been recovered from the tanker explosion scene at Dikko, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The fuel-laden tanker had exploded on Saturday morning, killing scores and injuring several others.
According to the Niger State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kumar Tsukwam, who confirmed the number while giving an update on the incident Saturday afternoon, said the tanker, with the number plate KBG-103-XAX, belonged to HMY Oil and Gas and was driven by one Mohammed Modu.
Tsukwam said the tanker, loaded with 60,000 litres of petrol from Lagos, was billed to deliver the product at Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) when the body detached from the head, leading to the fall of the vehicle.
He said the victims were mostly scavengers who gathered to scoop fuel despite efforts to stop them, adding the fire unfortunately extended to another tanker.
Tsukwam said in a statement thus; “Most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. We are at the scene to clear things up”, adding that firefighters had managed to put out the fire.
However, a conflicting report on the incident came from the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullah Baba Arah, who claimed that the explosion was caused by a generator being used to transfer the fuel from the fallen tanker to another tanker.
Meanwhile, the Niger state Governor, Mohammed Bago, who confirmed the incident in a statement, lamented that many people are believed to have perished in the huge fire caused by the tanker explosion.
He described the incident as “worrisome, heartbreaking, and unfortunate”.