The death toll from last Saturday’s tanker explosion has reached 98 persons dead and 69 others still on danger list.
Several property and lives were lost during the incident, which occurred as citizens tried to scoop spilled fuel from a petrol tanker that fell after it lost control in the Suleja area of Niger State.
The Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, provided the updated casualty toll in a statement on Monday, describing the incident as a devastating loss.
Meanwhile, the victims have been transferred to tertiary medical centres for enhanced attention.
President Bola Tinubu had directed the transfer of the surviving persons from the explosion. In a statement on Monday, Rabiu Ibrahim, the Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said “20 patients have been admitted to Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital in Abuja.
“Similarly, two additional patients have been transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja.”
“All the patients were accompanied by a nurse and family members to the designated referral centers to ensure seamless care,” the statement added.
The incident adds to the growing list of tanker explosions in Nigeria in recent years. Earlier in January, at least five persons were killed when a tanker ladened with petrol lost control and burst into flames in the Agbor area of Delta State.
In October of last year, a fuel tanker explosion in Jigawa State killed more than 170 people, with scores injured.
Following the recurrence, President Tinubu promised to set up a committee to probe the incidents and implement safety measures to forestall similar tragedies.
Idris who said this on Sunday noted that enlightenment campaigns on the safe movement of fuel tankers, road safety habits, and the dangers of scooping leaked fuel would be carried out by his ministry.
