At least 30 people have been confirmed dead and 40 others injured following a petrol tanker explosion along the Agaie–Baddegi Road in Niger State on Tuesday morning.
The tragic incident, which occurred near Essa village, shortly after Agaie town, reportedly happened when a fuel-laden tanker overturned and exploded, engulfing several people and vehicles in flames.
Eyewitnesses said many of the victims were residents and passersby who had rushed to the scene to scoop spilled petrol before the tanker suddenly burst into flames.
“It was like a war zone,” one resident recounted. “People were screaming for help, but the fire spread so fast that many couldn’t get away.”
The explosion, which occurred around 11 a.m., destroyed several vehicles, motorcycles, and roadside stalls. Rescue operations were immediately launched by locals, security agents, and emergency workers, but the intensity of the fire made recovery efforts difficult.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG in Niger State, Comrade Farouk Mohammed Kawo, described the explosion as “a heartbreaking and avoidable tragedy.”
He warned against the persistent risk-taking attitude of residents who rush to accident scenes to collect leaking fuel.
“We keep preaching safety, but people must realise that fuel is not something to play with. This is another painful reminder,” Kawo said.
Emergency responders were still on the scene as of press time, clearing the wreckage and attending to the injured, many of whom were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
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Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, while the Niger State Government is expected to issue an official statement on what has become one of the state’s deadliest road disasters in recent years.
