Two days after a tragic tanker explosion in Niger State claimed over 90 lives and left many injured, residents in another community gathered around a fallen truck,Daily Trust reports.
The new incident occurred in Bida town on Monday.
In a widely circulated online video, young people were seen crowding around the broken-down truck. While some attempted to scoop its contents, others fled, seemingly to avoid potential danger.
A local resident, Yinusa Jiya, told Premium Times, “The people weren’t even afraid, despite initially believing it was petrol.” Another eyewitness, Fatimah Mohammed, clarified that the tanker was carrying groundnut oil. “It fell near the AYM Shafa filling station on Monday, and residents collected large amounts of the oil leaking from the tanker,” she said.
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This incident followed the deadly tanker explosion at Dikko Junction in Gurara LGA, Niger State, which killed about 98 people. The death toll has risen as more victims succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment, according to Daily Trust.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in response, directed the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to intensify public awareness campaigns against scooping during such incidents. The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) expressed concern over the high casualty figures and severe burns suffered by victims.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed that 86 bodies were buried in a mass grave on Sunday, while several others are still being treated for first-degree burns in various hospitals. Authorities attributed the explosion to individuals trying to scoop fuel, which triggered the fire.
Niger State has faced repeated tragedies of this nature. On September 8, 2024, over 50 travelers died in a midnight tanker explosion along the Agaie-Badeggi road.
