As many as 50 persons have been confirmed dead in the tanker explosion at Dikko along the Abuja/Kaduna expressway, The Nation reports.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed the casualty figure on Saturday.
Several properties worth millions were also burnt down during the incident, which left several people injured.
NSEMA Director General, Abdullahi Baba Arah said that the incident occurred around 9am along the Dikko-Maje road opposite Baddegi fuelling station.
He said: “The incident occurred when a tanker loaded with PMS crashed, and an attempt was made by the drivers to transfer its contents to a second tanker.
“In the process, the spelling PMS came in contact with a generator that was used to power the transfer process, triggering an explosion of flames that has caused over 50 death injured many and destroyed properties estimated in millions.”
Arah said that the agency was working in collaboration with NEMA, Suleja local government area Emergency Committee and volunteers to carry out search, rescue and recovery operation to rescue the injured who have been moved to hospital for treatment and recover copses.
