The death toll in the petrol tanker explosion at Dikko Junction near Suleja in Niger State has risen to 86, with 55 persons injured and receiving treatment at the hospital.

By Saturday when the incident happened, the death toll was put at 70 and 50 injured.

However, more corpses have since been recovered and given mass burial in Dikko.

A speeding fuel tanker crashed on Saturday morning in Dikko Junction between Niger and Kaduna states.

The tanker, in the process of scooping fuel which spilled on the tarred road, exploded with a heavy flame which killed all the residents trying to scoop fuel as well as others who attempted to rescue them.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, in a statement on Sunday, said the agency, as well as the Gurara Local Government Area authorities and kind-hearted volunteers, conducted the mass burial between 5 pm and 12 am.

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“A total number of 86 persons have been confirmed dead, with their corpses recovered and buried.

“80 of them are in mass graves at Dikko PHC premises, while five were carried away for burial in the town by relatives and one died in Dikko PHC.

“The mass burial was carried out by NSEMA in collaboration with Gurara LGA and very brave, kind-hearted volunteers between the hours of 5 pm and 12 am.

“The number of injured now stands at 55 with one dead in Dikko PHC,” Baba-Arah stated.

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, who visited the scene of the explosion, banned vehicles coming from the Maje axis from passing through the Dikko bridge.

In a statement on Sunday, issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, the governor directed the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps to establish a detachment in the area to ensure the enforcement of the directive.

Reacting to the incident, President Bola Tinubu expressed deep sorrow in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The President mourned the victims and expressed his condolences to the families affected, as well as to the government and people of Niger State.

Tinubu also directed the relevant agencies to provide comprehensive medical care to the injured and instructed security and road safety authorities to implement measures to avert similar incidents.

The President mandated the National Orientation Agency to initiate a nationwide educational campaign to raise public awareness about the severe risks and environmental dangers of scooping fuel from fallen tankers.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Federal Government directed the immediate transfer of victims of the recent tanker explosion from Suleja General Hospital to tertiary health facilities, to ensure prompt and enhanced medical care.

Idris, who was joined by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, at the explosion scene, noted that the President had instructed the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other agencies to ensure that critically injured victims received urgent care at specialist hospitals.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari expressed condolences in a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu.

He expressed disappointment that the practice of scooping up fuel was becoming common despite warnings from the authorities and the devastating losses of life that had characteristically attended such incidents.

In condoling with the government and the people of Niger state, the former president wished speedy recovery to those injured.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, commiserated with families of the victims and assured them of the Federal Government’s commitment to preventing future occurrences.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, in a condolence message issued by his Media Adviser, Musa Krishi, lamented that the accident caused the loss of many lives in a terrific and shocking manner.

“The Speaker calls for proper investigation of the accident by the relevant authorities while urging motorists to be cautious while driving,” the message read.

The Northern Governors’ Forum, on Sunday, expressed sorrow over the tanker explosion.

The forum’s chairman and Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, on behalf of his colleagues, noted that accidents of this nature had far-reaching consequences, affecting not only the victims and their families but also the entire nation.

“On behalf of the northern governors, I extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families and the people of Niger State. We stand in solidarity with you and share in your grief,” it said.

The Southern Governors’ Forum, in a statement by its chairman and Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, described the tanker fire explosion as a devastating tragedy.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta, on behalf of the forum, Abiodun said that the governments and the people of the southern states were deeply troubled by the tragedy.

“To say that we in the Southern Governors’ Forum are terribly shocked by this devastating tragedy in which as many as 77 (now 86) people lost their lives and no less than 25 (now 50) others were grievously injured would be an understatement.

“This is a soul-crushing event that has befallen Niger State, and we pray that Almighty Allah will comfort the families that lost their loved ones in the incident,” the statement read.

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, in a statement issued in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, described the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy that had caused immense pain to families and communities across Niger State.

“We are profoundly saddened by the loss of lives and the suffering caused by this unfortunate incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, the injured, and all those affected,” Ganduje said.

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, in a statement signed by the Corps Spokesperson, Olusegun Ogungbemide, described the incident as a tragic and preventable loss and urged fuel tanker operators to strictly adhere to safety standards when handling and transporting petroleum products.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam called on the Federal Government to take urgent action against tanker explosions and criminalities in the country.

In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Prof Khalid Aliyu, in Kaduna, on Sunday, the JNI described the incident as “one too many” and called on the government to take concrete steps to prevent future occurrences.

The JNI also urged the government to provide maximal surveillance on explosion-prone highways and to expedite action in completing the 40-kilometre Suleja-Minna road, a dual carriageway connecting Abuja and Niger State, which has been ongoing for over 20 years.

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, in a press release jointly signed by NUPENG President and General Secretary, Williams Akporeha and Olawale Afolabi, respectively, appealed to the Federal Government to take urgent steps to repair failed sections of the highways and mandate relevant agencies to carry out sensitisation campaigns to educate Nigerians on the danger of scooping fuel from collapsed petrol tankers.

“As a responsible organisation, NUPENG collaborates annually with relevant agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, the police, and state traffic management agencies, to train our drivers on road safety. The union is committed to continuous training and retraining of members on best driving and safety practices,” it said.