Writing By Aliyu Lawal; Editing By Godwin Duru
No fewer than thirty people have been reportedly killed and about forty persons injured in a tanker explosion in Essan village of Katcha Local Government Area of Niger state while scooping petroleum product.
Investigation by our Correspondent in Minna reports that the accident which occurred todayat Essan and Badeggi communities between Bida to Agaie road, left many people injured with properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
It was reliably gathered that most of the affected victims were involved in scooping of petroleum product when it explode
Niger State Chairman of Tanker Drivers and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) National Ex-Officio, Comrade Farouk Mohammed Kawo who confirmed the incident in an interview in Minna, said the tanker was coming from Lagos to the North carrying petroleum product.
Comrade Farouk Kawo lamented that over thirty tanker trailers have been involved in accident this month of in the same part of the roa due to bad nature of the road.
He disclosed that youths in the community have continued to scoop oil from accidents vehicles.
Farouk Kawo appealed to the Niger state Government to repair the road to ease movement and avert loss of lives and property.
When contacted on phone, Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba Arah said his men were currently analyzing their report.
Aliyu Lawal