The National Emergency Management Agency has deployed an emergency rescue team to Dikko Junction along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway in Niger State, following a tragic tanker fire explosion.
The incident occurred Saturday morning along the Dikko-Maje Road, opposite Baddegi Station.
According to reports, the explosion happened after a tanker carrying PMS crashed, and an attempt was made to transfer its contents to another tanker.
During the process, the spilled PMS came into contact with a generator being used to power the transfer, igniting a fire that claimed over 70 lives, injured more than 56 people, and destroyed shops and property.
In a statement on Saturday, the agency confirmed that most of the victims were burnt beyond recognition, while the injured have been evacuated to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care. The majority of the casualties were members of the local community and passers-by.
The Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, expressed profound sympathy for the victims and their families. She condemned the poor handling of spilled tankers and emphasised the repeated tragedies caused by such unsafe practices.
Mrs Umar lamented that despite extensive public awareness campaigns carried out by NEMA and other stakeholders to warn against such behaviour, many individuals continue to ignore these warnings.
Under her directive, NEMA’s emergency team, led by the Head of the NEMA Minna Operation Office, Mr Hussaini Isah, is working alongside first responders to manage the aftermath, evacuate victims, and provide essential support to the affected community.
She reiterated the agency’s commitment to public safety and preventing similar incidents through continued awareness and rapid response efforts.
“This incident serves as a grim reminder of the importance of strict adherence to safety measures during such emergencies,” the agency stated.