Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State has expressed condolences to the families of the victims of a tanker explosion that claimed no fewer than 35 lives and left 17 people hospitalised.
Bago, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, on Tuesday evening, described the incident as “worrisome, unfortunate, and pathetic.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened at about 2.40 p.m. when the tanker fell on its side in a lone accident.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, in a statement sent to our correspondent on Tuesday, disclosed that following the accident, some residents had gone to the scene to scoop the spilt petrol.
He noted that while the residents were scooping the spilt content, fire engulfed the tanker.
Abiodun stated, “Today, October 21, 2025, at about 2.40 p.m., a report was received from the DPO of Katcha Division that there was a lone tanker vehicle accident along the Bida/Agaie highway, and as a result, the tanker conveying PMS fell by the roadside.
“Unfortunately, members of the public living around Essa village via Katcha rushed to the scene and were scooping PMS, and in the process, the tanker was suddenly engulfed in an inferno.”
He noted that out of the 48 victims affected by the fire, 31 people lost their lives at the spot of the incident, while 17 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“Sadly, forty-eight persons were affected by the fire, and among these victims, thirty-one persons lost their lives, while others are still receiving treatment in various nearby hospitals. Three motorcycles were also burnt.
“Teams of Policemen and other security agencies were moved to the scene for a rescue operation. Further investigation is ongoing to identify the driver and the owner of the said tanker,” Abiodun concluded.
Reacting, Bago prayed for the repose of the lives of the victims while expressing displeasure towards the act of petrol scooping.
“The farmer governor prays that Allah will repose the souls of those who died in the explosion and grant quick recovery to the injured.
“He says it is disheartening how people have continued to approach a fallen tanker to scoop its contents despite several sensitisation on the danger of such action.
“The farmer governor enjoins the people to value their lives no matter the situation,” Ibrahim stated in part.
The tragedy adds to the growing list of tanker-related explosions across the country.
PUNCH Metro reported in January that no fewer than 70 persons were burnt to death while scooping petrol from a crashed tanker in Niger State.
Similarly, a recent investigation by PUNCH Metro revealed that more than 400 people have died in tanker explosions nationwide over the past year, prompting the Federal Government to launch a national awareness campaign on the dangers of petrol scooping.
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