According to the reports on Monday (20 January), a tragic tanker explosion in Dikko, Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, has resulted in the death of 98 people and injuries to 69 others. The disaster occurred last Saturday (18 January) when a petrol tanker crashed and spilled its contents. Efforts to transfer the fuel to another tanker triggered a catastrophic explosion, causing significant loss of life and property damage.
The explosion destroyed over 20 shops in the area, further compounding the economic impact on the local community. Abdullahi Baba-Arah, Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, provided an update on the incident, highlighting the severity of the damage and the need for urgent measures to prevent similar occurrences.
President Bola Tinubu has set up a high-level committee to investigate the increasing number of tanker explosions across Nigeria’s highways. The investigation aims to identify the root causes and propose actionable solutions to curb these tragedies, which have become alarmingly frequent in recent years.
The Niger State government has also called on the federal government to expedite the Minna-Suleja road project. The poor condition of the road has been identified as a major contributor to accidents in the area, underscoring the urgent need for infrastructure improvements to enhance road safety and prevent further loss of life.
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