No fewer than 35 persons were feared dead, and 46 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a petrol tanker explosion on the Bida–Agaie expressway, Essa village, in the Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.

Aishatu Sa’adu, the sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger, confirmed the incident to journalists on Tuesday in Minna.

Ms Sa’adu said the tragedy occurred when some residents attempted to scoop fuel from the fallen tanker, which later exploded.

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

According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the crash was a lone accident resulting from the loss of control by the tanker driver.

The sector commander cautioned motorists to exercise utmost care and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

She also warned members of the public against scooping fuel from accident scenes, describing it as a dangerous act that had claimed many lives in the past.

“It is God who gives wealth. People should avoid greed and be content with what God has given them,” she added.

A witness told journalists that the accident occurred around 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday in the Essan/Badeggi communities on the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area.

“It was gathered that the victims were scooping fuel from the fallen tanker when it suddenly exploded, burning many beyond recognition, while others sustained severe burns,” the witness said.

Also confirming the incident, Farouk Kawo, the Niger State chairman of the Tanker Drivers Association, said the tanker was conveying petroleum product from Lagos to the northern part of the country.

Mr Kawo noted that more than 30 tankers had been involved in accidents on the same route in October alone, attributing the frequent crashes to the deplorable condition of the road.

“The community youths have continued to scoop products from accidented vehicles. Just last Sunday, a tanker conveying groundnut oil also crashed, and its contents were scooped,” he said.

He appealed to the Niger government, under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Bago, to urgently intervene by grading the bad portions of the road to ease movement and reduce accidents.

“If the bad spots are repaired, it will go a long way in preventing further loss of lives and property,” Mr Kawo added.

(NAN)