A petrol tanker explosion had led to the deaths of no fewer than 30 people in the Agaie Local Government Area of Niger State.
The accident, which also killed over 50 cows, resulted from a head-on collision between a petrol-bearing tanker and a trailer truck that was conveying travellers and cattle from Wudil, Kano State.
A crane truck and a pickup van were consumed by the resultant fire.
According to Abdullahi Baba-Arab, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, the incident occurred about 12:30 am on Sunday, along the Lapai-Agaie road, approximately 2km from Dendo Community in Agaie LGA.
“NSEMA has received a report of a deadly tanker explosion that occurred on Sunday, 8th September 2024, at about 12:30 am along Lapai-Agaie road, 2km from Dendo Community in Agaie LGA,” the NSEMA statement read.
“The incident happened when a petrol tanker loaded with PMS collided with a trailer truck carrying travellers and cattle from Wudil, Kano State, heading to Lagos. Two other vehicles, a crane truck and a pickup van, were also involved in the incident.
“Over 30 people have already been confirmed dead, with more than 50 cattle burnt alive. NSEMA’s Rapid Response Team (RRT), in conjunction with LGEMCs, is still at the scene conducting search and rescue operations, as more bodies remain trapped inside the vehicles.”