Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Tears flowed freely in Essan community, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State as residents watched with pains the burning to death of more than 30 people in a petrol tanker explosion.
At least 46 others also suffered severe burns and have been evacuated to the hospital for treatment.
The fuel tanker was said to have overturned while negotiating a bad portion of the road and spilled its contents.
Villagers, including children, immediately besieged the scene of the fallen tanker to scoop the product.
It was learnt that the victims used every available container, including metals, to scoop the fuel and, in the process, ignited the fire.
“Majority of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, we cannot identify them. We just have to do a mass burial for them,” a source said.
Although the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) was yet to issue a statement at the time of filing this report (5:20pm), the Niger State chairman of Tanker Drivers and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) national ex-officio, Farouk Mohammed Kawo, confirmed the incident in Minna, saying the tanker left Lagos with petroleum product.
He blamed the accident on the deplorable condition of the road, which rehabilitation work has been ongoing for over 20 years without completion. “Despite its deplorable condition, it is the only accessible road linking the North and the South West at the moment.
Kawo disclosed that no fewer than 30 tanker trailers have been involved in accidents in the last three weeks along the road.
He revealed that a similar crash involving a groundnut oil tanker occurred at the same spot on Sunday.
He pointed out that the youths in the area have continued to scoop fuel from fallen tankers each time an accident occurred, adding, “it’s unfortunate that this very incident has led to loss of lives.”
Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has condoled with the families of the victims and the entire people of Essa, Katcha local government area.
“This is yet another painful, difficult and tragic one for the people and the state government”, he said
He lamented that it is disheartening to see how people continued to approach a fallen tanker to scoop its contents despite several sensitisation on the danger of such action.