Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
No fewer than 86 persons perished in a petrol tanker explosion that left scores injured at Dikko Junction, Niger State, on Saturday.
The death toll which was put at 70, with 50 injured on Saturday, increased by Sunday with the recovery of additional bodies at the scene.
The recovered bodies have been given a mass burial at Dikko area of the state.
This was contained in a statement issued Sunday by the Director-General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah.
According to the statement, the agency, alongside Gurara Local Government Area and brave, kind-hearted volunteers, conducted the mass burial between 5 pm and midnight.
It read: “A total of 86 persons have been confirmed dead, with their corpses recovered and buried.
“Eighty of them were buried in a mass grave at Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre premises, while five were taken by their relatives for burial in the town, and one died at Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre.
“The mass burial was carried out by NSEMA in collaboration with Gurara LGA and courageous volunteers between the hours of 5pm and midnight.
“The number of injured now stands at 55, with one death recorded at Dikko PHC,” Baba-Arah stated.
According to the statement, a speeding fuel tanker crashed on Saturday morning at Dikko Junction, located between Niger and Kaduna states.
While some residents attempted to scoop fuel spilling on the road from the tanker, it exploded and engulfed them.
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago, who visited the scene of the tragedy, has issued a ban on vehicles coming from the Maje axis from passing over the Dikko Bridge.
He described the incident as very unfortunate, and cautioned residents against going close to a fallen tanker laden with petroleum products.
