No fewer than 35 people have been killed following an explosion and ensuing blaze from an overturned petrol tanker near Baddeggi community, in Katcha local government area of Niger State, about 87 kilometres from Minna, the state capital.
Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Aishat Saadu, who confirmed the incident, said a total of 35 lives were lost while about 40 other victims were conveyed to the General Hospital in Bida.
According to Saadu, her men have cordoned the scene thereby allowing free traffic flow as at the time of filing this report.
An eyewitness said that the accident occurred around 11 am on Tuesday morning at Essan and Badeggi communities along Bida-Agaie Road in Katcha local government area of the state.
In January, no fewer than a hundred persons were killed in a similar incident at the Dikko junction in Suleja, near the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
Governor Umar Bago has commended emergency services for putting out the inferno and empathised with the families of those killed, deploring the habit of scooping fuel from trucks involved in road crashes.
It was gathered that the affected persons were involved in the scooping of fuel when the crashed tanker exploded, burning the victims beyond recognition.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
