At least 86 people have died and 55 have been injured in the explosion of a fuel tanker in Niger State, central Nigeria, according to the latest official balance released on Sunday by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, AEGE.
The injured are still receiving care in hospitals in the region, including Suleja and Wuse, in a ground situation described as extremely grave by Abdullahi Baba-Arah, the director-general of AEGE.
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The commander of the Federal Department of Road Safety, Kumar Tsukwam, told the state news agency NNA that the blast occurred around 09.00 this morning as dozens of people gathered near a fuel-leaking truck following a crash on a local Suleja road.
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In statements cited by the Nigerian daily Punch, Baba-Arah clarified that the detonation likely occurred from a spark during the transfer of fuel from the crashed truck to another tanker.
The shockwave and the ensuing blaze swept through the crowd that had gathered around the vehicle, a type of incident that has occurred in Nigeria where fuel remains an extremely valuable commodity.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the National Orientation Agency to immediately launch a campaign addressing the dangers of drawing fuel from a compromised tanker, according to the Nigerian Daily Trust.
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Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, explained in a Sunday statement that the president strongly recommends that citizens exercise caution and stay away from accident sites, especially those involving fuel-laden vehicles, due to their highly explosive nature.
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Meanwhile, the governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago, visited the scene and announced a fresh safety regulation. Specifically, vehicles coming from the Maje area should avoid the Dikko Bridge and take alternative routes.
In addition, Bago urged the federal government to deploy personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps to enforce the rules and called on transport unions to cooperate to bolster safety. He criticised the accident as pathetic and noted that the fire did not spread to nearby communities.