Jigawa State Police Command said on Wednesday night that 153 persons have died from the explosion of a petrol tanker in Majiya town of Taura Local Government Area.
Initially, the police said 94 persons lost their lives on the spot, while many injured others were rushed to Ringim General Hospital with severe injuries.
Spokesman of Jigawa State Police Command Lawan Adam said over 100 were receiving treatment.
The deceased were given a mass burial in Majiya town on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at about 11:30 pm on Tuesday after the tanker driver lost control near Khadija University.
The tanker was on its way to Nguru town in Yobe State before the driver lost control and it fell with its content.
After the fall, some residents went there to scoop the product, a development that eventually led to the explosion.
Adam said, “The devastating incident occurred on October 15, 2024, at about 2230hrs, involving a petrol tanker with registration number KMC 6412 F, driven by one Yusuf Mohd ‘m’ age 32yrs of Hotoro Quarters, Kano State.
“The tanker was travelling from Kano to Nguru, Yobe State, when the driver lost control near Khadija University in Majia town, Taura LGA, causing it to overturn and spill fuel.
“The petrol entered through the drainage to the outskirts of the village. Unfortunately, villagers attempted to scoop petrol from the drainage, resulting in a flame that engulfed the area and many people reportedly perished.”
He said the area commander of Ringim and their men swiftly raced to the scene.
“One hundred and five (105) corpses have been evacuated, while 50 injured persons were rushed to Ringim and Hadejia General Hospitals for medical attention.
“The fire was successfully extinguished through the combined efforts of police officers, firefighters, and good Samaritans,” he said.
Adam later told PUNCH that the dead had risen to 153.
The police command attributed the high number of casualties and injured persons to desperate moves by the people in the area to scoop the product.
Adam said, ”Despite the efforts of the police, who had cordoned off the area and issued warnings to the public, people resisted and started scooping the fuel, triggering a devastating explosion.”
He added that the police struggled to keep control of the scene, with many bystanders ignoring warnings and moving dangerously close to the accident site.
“The tanker, loaded with petrol, ignited shortly after the crash, causing an inferno that engulfed numerous people in the vicinity.
“The injured were immediately rushed to the General Hospital at Ringim, where medical personnel are working around the clock to treat the victims.
“However, the death toll is likely to rise as several of the injured remain in critical condition,” according to Adam.
He said the state commissioner of police, A.T. Abdullahi, has since condoled and sympathised with the residents of the state especially the people of Majiya town.
