The death toll from a petrol tanker explosion in central Nigeria has climbed to 86, emergency services confirmed on Sunday. The tragedy occurred when a tanker carrying 60,000 litres (nearly 16,000 gallons) of gasoline overturned on a road, drawing crowds who rushed to collect the spilled fuel before it ignited.
Ibrahim Audu Husseini, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency in Niger State, stated, “The final death toll from the tanker explosion is 86. We buried 86 burnt corpses between 12 p.m. yesterday and 2 a.m. today.”
The burial effort, which lasted 14 hours, faced delays due to the lack of excavators, forcing locals to dig a mass grave manually.
The explosion occurred at Dikko Junction, a key route connecting Nigeria’s federal capital, Abuja, to the northern city of Kaduna.
This devastating incident follows another similar tragedy in October, when over 170 people lost their lives in Jigawa State after a fuel tanker explosion.
The recurring nature of such accidents highlights the urgent need for stricter safety measures and better public awareness to prevent further loss of life.
Source: DAWN
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
