90 killed in Jigawa tanker explosion – Police

A tanker explosion has led to the death of at least 90 people in Jigawa State, north-west Nigeria, the police have said.

Most of the victims were killed in an explosion after they surrounded the accident scene, the police said.

Jigawa police spokesperson Shi’isu Adam said the accident occurred on Tuesday in Majiya Town in the Taura Local Government Area of the state.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, Mr Adam also said that 50 other persons had been hospitalised for varying degrees of injury due to the explosion.

”At about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Majia Town, Taura local government area of Jigawa, the tanker driver lost control near Khadija University and it exploded.

“The driver left Kano and was heading to Nguru in Yobe when the accident happened,” Mr Adam said.

The spokesperson said the majority of the victims died because they surrounded the accident scene.

“We are worried that in spite of police warning for people to steer clear from scenes of accidents involving fuel tankers, they still engage in such acts.

”People gathered around the accident scene, that is the reason for the mass casualty,” he said.

He said a mass burial of the victims would be held by 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

He added that the injured were receiving medical attention at the Ringim General Hospital.

Hundreds of people have been killed in tanker accidents in various parts of Nigeria. In some of the cases, the majority of the victims are people who gather around the tanker to scoop fuel from the tanker before a major explosion occurs. (NAN)

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