Forty-eight individuals who perished in a petrol tanker explosion on Sunday have been laid to rest in a mass burial in Niger State’s Agaie Local Government Area.
According to PUNCH Metro, the tragic event unfolded early Sunday morning when a petrol tanker collided head-on with a truck carrying travelers and cattle from Wudil, Kano State.
Abdullahi Baba-Arab, Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed that the victims were charred beyond recognition, prompting the decision for a mass burial in the area.
Baba-Arab further reported that an additional 18 bodies were discovered during ongoing search and rescue operations, bringing the total number of recovered bodies to 48.
“My agency uncovered 18 more bodies, all of which were also burnt. We have now laid all the deceased to rest in a mass burial,” he stated.
The incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. near Dendo, about 2 kilometers from the Agaie Local Government Area, as Baba-Arab outlined in a statement. In addition to human casualties, more than 50 cattle were also consumed in the blaze, with a crane truck and pickup van caught in the inferno as well.
The statement from NSEMA read: “Our agency received reports of a catastrophic tanker explosion that occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 8, 2024, along the Lapai-Agaie road, near the Dendo community.
The collision involved a petrol tanker filled with PMS and a truck transporting travelers and cattle from Wudil, Kano State, en route to Lagos. Two other vehicles—a crane truck and a pickup van—were also engulfed in the flames.
“Over 30 fatalities have already been confirmed, with more than 50 cattle burned. NSEMA’s Rapid Response Team, along with local government emergency units, is continuing search and rescue efforts, as additional bodies remain trapped inside the wreckage.”
