The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has confirmed the death of 98 persons in Saturday’s tanker explosion in Dikko, Gurara Local Government Area of the state.
The Director General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, who confirmed the casualty figures in a statement on Monday, said 69 people sustained injuries in the unfortunate incident.
He added that 20 shops were also destroyed by the inferno that emanate from the explosion.
He said the explosion occurred on Saturday when a tanker conveying petrol crashed and another tanker was brought to transfer the fuel it was carrying.
Residents of the community were however reported to be scooping the petrol when the explosion occurred,
At least 80 people, whose bodies were recovered after the incident, were buried in a mass grave at Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre by officials of the NSEMA and Gurara LGA.
Other recovered bodies were retrieved by family members for burial.
President Bola Tinubu had ordered the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to commence comprehensive campaign on the dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
A similar incident occurred in Jigawa state in December last year resulting in the death of over 100 people.
The latest incident highlights the continued trend of petrol tanker explosion-related deaths across the country.
