Another petrol tanker explodes in Niger

Another petrol-laden tanker has exploded in a town bordering Agaie and Lapai local government areas of Niger State.

The incident occurred at about 6 a.m on Monday, Hamzat Taoheed, a resident of Lapai, said, adding that no life was lost.

This makes it the third tanker explosion in less than a month in Niger State alone.

“The driver and his conductor fled the scene when the tanker fell and caught fire,” Mr Taoheed added.

Another resident, Umar Alhaji, attributed the incident to over speeding by the tanker.

The driver was trying to overtake another trailer when it fell, he explained. Mr Alhaji noted that fire fighters put out the fire hours later.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that a similar incident happened two week ago in the same area.

“Last two weeks, a container carrying goods fell and a tanker ran into it, making both of them to engulf in fire,” Mr Taoheed said.

The Monday incident came barely two weeks after a twin tanker explosion killed about 90 people in Dikko, Gurara LGA of the state.

The Dikko incident also injured over 50 people, although some of them later died.

Some of the victims were taken to several hospitals including in Gwagwalada in Abuja following a directive by President Bola Tinubu.

Many people who died in the Dikko explosion were at the scene to scoop fuel.

A day after the Dikko explosion, another tanker carrying groundnut oil fell in Bida while residents scooped the content.

Last Saturday, PREMIUM TIMES reported that a petrol tanker exploded at the Ugwu Onyeama section of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, killing several people and injuring others.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) later confirmed 18 people dead.

But in a statement after the Enugu explosion, Mr Tinubu directed all agencies, including FRSC, in charge of enforcing traffic to reverse the trend of tanker explosions.

“The president calls for caution and adherence to safety measures among road users, particularly fuel tanker operators,” the statement reads in parts.

“Furthermore, he directs agencies in charge of enforcing traffic rules to implement measures to prevent recurring petrol tanker explosions nationwide,” it continued.