As many as 60 dead bodies have been recovered from the scene of the horrific tanker explosion which happened at Dikko, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State.
Tori News had earlier reported how a fuel-laden tanker exploded on Saturday morning, killing scores and injuring several others.
The Niger State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kumar Tsukwam, revealed the number in an update Saturday afternoon.
He told our correspondent that the tanker, with the number plate KBG-103-XAX, belonged to HMY Oil and Gas and was driven by one Mohammed Modu.
He said the tanker had loaded 60,000 litres of petrol from Lagos and was billed to deliver the product at Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory when the body detached from the head, leading to the fall of the vehicle.
He said the victims were mostly scavengers who gathered to scoop fuel despite efforts to stop them.
He said the fire extended to another tanker.
However, the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullah Baba Arah said the explosion was caused by a generator being used to transfer the fuel from the fallen tanker to another tanker.
