PHOTO: Courtesy Vaguard
No fewer than 70 dead have now been accounted for in the petrol tanker explosion tragedy that occurred in Niger State today.
he tanker flipped over and people gathered to scoop spilt fuel.
“The death toll stands at 70 so far,” Kumar Tsukwam, the head of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in Niger State, told newsmen.
He put the accident scene as Dikko-Maje Road opposite Badeggi Fuelling Station in Suleja Local Government Area.
Earlier, The Vanguard reported that mostly affected in the tragedy were youths within the area and some women.
Besides the many lives lost, several others were said to have sustained injuries while many houses and shops were also reportedly razed completely in the inferno.
An eyewitness in the area told Vanguard that the accident occurred when a tanker laden with petrol overturned, and another was brought to take in the petrol from the fallen one.
As the transfer of fuel into the new truck was about to begin, residents of the area, mostly youths and some women, rushed to the scene to scoop the fuel from the accident tanker.
Those mostly trapped were the youths, who turned deaf ears to the calls from people around, of the dangers inherent in their action.
“And in the twinkle of an eye, many of them including women were trapped and roasted beyond recognition,” the eye witness declared.
Vanguard also gathered that many people within the area had to flee the scene as they could not render any assistance, as there was no immediate response from the fire service men to stop the spread.
FRSC
The Sector Commander of FRSC in Niger State, Tsukwan, when contacted confirmed the story.
