Tanker explosion kills 35, injures 46 in Niger – FRSC

No less than 35 persons person been feared dead, portion 46 others sustained varying degrees of injuries successful a petrol tanker detonation connected Bida–Agaie expressway, astatine Essa colony successful Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.

Hajiya Aishatu Sa’adu,  Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Niger Command, confirmed the incidental to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) connected Tuesday successful Minna.

Sa’adu said that the calamity occurred erstwhile immoderate residents attempted to scoop substance from the fallen tanker, which aboriginal exploded.

She said the injured victims were evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Bida, with the enactment of FRSC personnel, villagers, and immoderate bully Nigerians.

According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the clang was a lone mishap resulting from the nonaccomplishment of power by the tanker driver.

The assemblage commandant cautioned motorists to workout utmost attraction and adhere strictly to postulation regulations to debar unnecessary nonaccomplishment of lives.

She besides warned members of the nationalist against scooping substance from mishap scenes, describing it arsenic a unsafe enactment that had claimed galore lives successful the past.

“It is God that gives wealth. People should debar greed and beryllium contented with what God has fixed them,” she added.

An eyewitness told NAN that the mishap occurred astir 11 a.m. connected Tuesday astatine Essan/Badeggi communities connected the Bida–Agaie roadworthy successful Katcha Local Government Area.

“It was gathered that the victims were scooping substance from the fallen tanker erstwhile it abruptly exploded, burning galore beyond recognition, portion others sustained terrible burns,” the witnesser said.

Also confirming the incident, Mr Farouk Kawo, the Niger State Chairman of the Tanker Drivers Association and National Ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said the tanker was conveying petroleum merchandise from Lagos to the bluish portion of the country.

Kawo noted that much than 30 tankers had been progressive successful accidents connected the aforesaid way successful October alone, attributing the predominant crashes to the deplorable information of the road.

“The assemblage youths person continued to scoop products from accidented vehicles. Just past Sunday, a tanker conveying groundnut lipid besides crashed and its contents were scooped,” helium said.

He appealed to the Niger Government, nether the enactment of Gov. Mohammed Bago, to urgently intervene by grading the atrocious portions of the roadworthy to easiness question and trim accidents.

“If the atrocious spots are repaired, it volition spell a agelong mode successful preventing further nonaccomplishment of lives and property,” Kawo added.

(NAN)

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