Fuel tanker explosion kills 4, injures 34 in Niger, several houses burnt




Four persons have been confirmed dead while 34 others sustained various degrees of burnt following a collision of two fuel trailers in Kutigi town in Lavun local government area of Niger state.

The accident was reported to have occurred at 8pm Monday night during which the tankers splashed their contents and burst into flames.

A witness account said the drivers of both trucks and their boys died on the spot while the injured persons were villagers close to the scene.

It was learnt that the deputy governor of Niger state and chairman of the state Board of Emergency Management Agency (BEMA), Ahmed Mohammed Ketso Tuesday  visited and inspected the scene of the accident.

Ketso who paid a sympathy visit to the traditional ruler of Kutigi condoled the victims of the inferno who are receiving treatment at Kutigi General Hospital.

The deputy governor who directed the security agencies to open up the road for free flow of traffic, assured that government will assist in the victims medical bills.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has sympathized with the people of Kutigi over the explosion that razed down several houses and affected 34 persons.

Governor Sani Bello in a press statement signed by his chief press secretary, Mary Noel Berje, expressed sadness over the loss of four lives and property as a result of the inferno and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured.

He expressed government’s readiness to assess the damage caused by the inferno with a view to cushioning the effect on those affected.

“However I seriously frowned at the manner at which drivers of tankers and Articulated vehicles drive even in residential areas. It is a fact that  some of these accidents are avoidable”, he said

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