No fewer than 30 persons have been confirmed dead, while over 50 cattle burnt when a petrol-laden tanker collided with a trailer loaded with travellers and cattle in Niger State, North-Central Nigeria.
The petrol tanker explosion, which was said to have occurred about two kilometres away from Dendo community in Agaie, headquarters of Agaie local government area of Niger State occurred in the early hours of Sunday, September 8.
Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba-Arah who confirmed the incident in a statement by the spokesperson, Hussaini Ibrahim added, that two other vehicles, a crane truck and a pickup van were also caught in the incidence.
The statement further added that the Agency’s Rapid Respond Team, RRT, in conjunction with other collaborating agencies, was still at the scene of the incident, conducting search and rescue operations as more corpses were still trapped inside the trucks.
Meanwhile, Governor Umar Bago has expressed sadness over the incident calling for calm by the residents of the affected area.
Bago, through his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, also enjoined road users to always be cautious and abide by road traffic regulations to safeguard lives and property.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
