At Least 30 Dead In Fresh Tanker Explosion In Niger State

No fewer than thirty (30) people reportedly died in a tragic explosion involving a fuel tanker on the Agaie-Bida Road in Niger State on Sunday morning.

Naija News learnt that the tanker colluded with a trailer transporting cattle en route to Lagos State from Wudil, Kano State.

The director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mallam Abdullahi Baba-Arab, verified the occurrence of this incident in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday.

He indicated that the event took place at approximately 12:30 am on Sunday, along the Lapai-Agaie road, roughly 2 kilometres from the Dendo Community in Agaie Local Government Area.

Baba-Arab reported that more than 50 cattle were also incinerated, and two additional vehicles—a crane truck and a pickup van—were engulfed in flames.

The statement from NSEMA noted: “NSEMA has received a report regarding a catastrophic tanker explosion that transpired on Sunday, 8th September 2024, at around 12:30 am along the Lapai-Agaie road, 2 kilometres from the Dendo Community in Agaie LGA.

“The incident happened when a petrol tanker loaded with PMS collided with a trailer truck carrying travellers and cattle from Wudil, Kano State, heading to Lagos. Two other vehicles, a crane truck and a pickup van, were also involved in the incident.

“Over 30 people have already been confirmed dead, with more than 50 cattle burnt alive. NSEMA’s Rapid Response Team (RRT), in conjunction with LGEMCs, is still at the scene conducting search and rescue operations, as more bodies remain trapped inside the vehicles.”