TANKO ALIYU , MINNA
As Niger state mourned the , another 35 people killed in another Tanker explosion at Essa on Agaie- Baddegi road in Katcha local government area of the state, more facts are emerging on how bad roads caused the explosion.
Newsprecision findings revealed that the accident occurred around Essa village after Agaie going towards Baddegi when the Tanker ran into a pothole and somersaulted into a farm land.
It was learnt that no fewer than 30 accidents have occurred on same spot in recent months but the fatality was not much hence it did attract public attention.
Alluding to this Niger State chairman of Tanker Drivers TD , Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) National Ex-Officio, Comrade Farouk Mohammed Kawo confirmed the accident while explaining that the tanker was coming from Lagos to the Northern part carrying petroleum product.
He lamented that over 30 tanker trailers had involved in accident within this month in that particular area of the road that has been in bad shape
Kawo said that the youths in the community have continued to scoop petroleum products from their accident Tanker without heeding to safety advice .
” Just last Sunday a tanker trailer carrying groundnut oil had an accident and its product was scooped among others in the same area” he stated.
Eye witness accounts from the village revealed that the fatality of the accident that occured around 11 am on Tuesday would have been less if the people listened to the advice not to scoop petrol motor spirit from the tanker.
Consequently it was learnt that the dead victims were mostly those scooping the product that exploded from the tanker.
It was learnt that the victims of the accident were both young men and women from Essa village who defiled warning from village elders to go ahead to scoop from the tanker that was already aflame.
Most them were reportedly quoted to have said they need to survive and it was an opportunity for them to scoop the petroleum products for sale.
The Sector Commander of Niger state Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC Commander Aisha Saadu said ” So far 35 Lives have been lost, my men are still rescuing the victims and carrying them for medical attention”
She said ” the details of the accident was still sketchy , what we are doing now is to rescue the victims who were to get quick medical attention ‘
The Director General Niger state Emergency Management Agency NSEMA Abdullah Baba Arah said that they were also helping in the rescue operations
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has extended condolences to the people of Essa, over the tanker explosion that claimed the lives of the people
The governor, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, described the incident as worrisome, unfortunate, and pathetic.
Bago said “This is yet another painful, difficult, and tragic one for the people and the state government.”
” It is disheartening how people have continued to approach a fallen tanker to scoop its contents despite several sensitisation on the danger of such action” he added.
