Niger Tanker Explosion Kills At Least 70 People [Video/ Photos]

Niger tanker explosion has left at least 70 people dead.

Newsone Nigeria reports that at least 70 people were killed and others injured in Niger State, northern Nigeria on Saturday, January 18, 2025, after a gasoline tanker truck overturned and exploded along Dikko-Maje road, opposite Badeggi fuelling station, in Suleja LGA of Niger State, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said.

“The death toll stands at 70 so far,” said Kumar Tsukwam, the FRSC sector commander for Niger state.

He said that a truck carrying 60,000 liters of gasoline had an accident around 10:00 a.m. local time (0900 UTC) at a junction linking Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, to Kaduna.

Residents attempted to collect spilled fuel

The official earlier said that local residents had rushed to the tanker after it overturned to scoop up the spilled gasoline.

“Large crowd of people gathered to scoop fuel despite concerted efforts to stop them,” Tsukwam said in a statement.

“Suddenly, the tanker burst into flames, engulfing another tanker. So far 60 corpses (have been) recovered from the scene.”

He said that most of the victims were “burnt beyond recognition.”

Similarly, the Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, NSEMA, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, said the explosion occurred at about 9:00 am on Saturday.

According to him, the incident happened when a tanker loaded with premium motor spirit, PMS, crashed, and an attempt was made to transfer its contents to another tanker.

In the process, the PMS came into contact with a generator used to effect the transfer, triggering an explosion that claimed over 50 lives.

He said NSEMA, in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Suleja LGA Emergency Committee, and volunteers, are currently carrying out search, rescue and recovery operations.

Baba-Arah said the injured have been moved to the hospital for treatment, while efforts are being made to recover the corpses of the deceased.

Watch the Niger tanker explosion video below…

A fuel tanker exploded in the Dikko area of Niger State, northern Nigeria, killing at least 60 people who had gathered to scoop fuel.

In October, a similar incident occurred in Jigawa State, northern Nigeria, claiming the lives of over 170 people🤯 pic.twitter.com/IG0FiQFs1m

— Chudé (@chude__) January 19, 2025

Nigeria’s cost of living crisis

Meanwhile, Newsone reports that Nigeria has seen widespread protests over the rising cost of living in recent months under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Prices have soared since President Bola Tinubu abolished fuel subsidies last year.

Recently, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 34.80% in December 2024, reflecting a slight increase from the 34.60% recorded in November 2024 under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu.

The latest Consumer Price Index report released on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, showed that the marginal rise of 0.20% has been attributed to heightened demand for goods and services during the festive season.

On a year-on-year basis, the December inflation rate marked a significant increase of 5.87 percentage points compared to 28.92% in December 2023.

This highlights a continued upward trajectory in consumer prices, driven by economic challenges such as currency depreciation, high energy costs, and persistent supply chain disruptions.

According to the NBS report, the average inflation rate for the 12 months ending December 2024 stood at 33.24%, up from 24.66% recorded during the same period in 2023.

The report read, “In December 2024, the headline inflation rate was 34.80 percent relative to the November 2024 headline inflation rate of 34.60 percent.

“Looking at the movement, the December 2024 headline inflation rate showed a marginal increase of 0.20 percent compared to the November 2024 Headline inflation rate. This was due to December festive period increases in demand for goods and services.

“On a year-on-year basis, the Headline inflation rate was 5.87% higher than the rate recorded in December 2023 (28.92 percent). This shows that the Headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in December 2024 compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., December 2023).”

The rise reflects sustained pressures on the cost of living throughout the year, affecting both urban and rural areas.