The death toll from a gasoline tanker explosion in Niger State, has reached 98, according to the National Emergency Management Agency on Monday.
The explosion occurred early on Saturday near the Suleja area after a group of people tried to transfer gasoline from a crashed tanker to another truck using a generator, sparking the deadly blast.
Those involved in the transfer, as well as innocent bystanders, were killed in the incident.
On Monday, the Federal Government announced that, following President Bola Tinubu’s directive, victims who are still fighting for their lives have been moved to tertiary medical centers for better treatment.
As of Sunday, the death toll stood at 86, with 55 people reported injured.
In a statement on Monday, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, provided an update, saying, “More deaths have been recorded from the fire incident. The latest figure is now 98 deaths, 69 injured and 20 shops burnt.”
Operations head, the National Emergency Management Agency for Niger State, Hussaini Isah, stated on Monday that the death toll may still increase.
“The death toll keeps changing,” Isah said.
On Sunday, Isah explained that the large number of victims was due to the crowd gathered at the site, which included people taking photographs, bystanders, and others attempting to collect the spilled gasoline.
According to officials, locals had rushed to the scene with generators in an effort to siphon fuel from the tanker, triggering the explosion.
“A mass burial has been conducted where the people that died at the scene of the incident have been put to rest,” said Manzo Ezekiel, NEMA’s spokesperson. He also confirmed that the injured were transported to various primary and secondary medical facilities for treatment.
Since President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed fuel subsidies over a year ago, gasoline prices have soared, leading to significant hardship.
However, some individuals still see scooping gasoline from fallen tankers as an opportunity to either use the product or sell it for profit.
