Forty-two people, including 24 women and nine children, were confirmed dead, while more than 60 others sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, has ordered the immediate relocation of the 52 victims of the petrol tanker explosion in Essa community, Katcha Local Government Area, to the National Hospital, Abuja, for advanced medical care.
The directive followed reports that many of the victims sustained severe burns in the explosion, which occurred on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, after a tanker overturned on the dilapidated Bida–Badeggi–Agaie Road and burst into flames as residents tried to scoop fuel.
Forty-two people, including 24 women and nine children, were confirmed dead, while more than 60 others sustained various degrees of injuries.
Several residents are still unaccounted for, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
A delegation led by the governor’s Special Adviser on Special Duties, Murtala Bagana, visited the scene of the tragedy and the hospitals where the injured were being treated.
Bagana said the governor had directed that all victims receive free and comprehensive medical attention.
He added that those with serious burns had been transferred to the National Hospital, Gwagwalada, and the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, for specialised treatment.
Emergency responders from the police, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, and local volunteers were deployed to the area, where rescue operations continued for several hours.
Burnt vehicles and motorcycles were recovered after the fire was brought under control.
Community leaders blamed the poor state of the highway for the tragedy and appealed to both the federal and state governments to urgently rehabilitate it to prevent further loss of lives.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, described the incident as “frustrating” and blamed it on negligence and the erosion of moral values. “Our findings show that sensitisation alone won’t solve this problem. People are aware of the danger but ignore it,” he said.
The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, commiserated with the people of Niger State, lamenting that despite repeated warnings, many citizens still risk their lives scooping fuel from fallen tankers.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had also expressed sadness, saying, “Poverty continues to drive our people into situations where they must dangerously risk their lives to survive. No one has to die simply trying to live.”
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