The death toll from Tuesday’s petrol tanker explosion in Essa community, Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State, has risen to 42, with more than 60 others injured, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the accident occurred between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon when a tanker laden with petrol lost control due to the poor state of the Bida–Badeggi–Agaie Road, overturned, and exploded minutes later.
Many of the victims were reportedly scooping fuel from the fallen tanker when it ignited, engulfing the area in flames. The dead include nine men, 24 women, and nine children, while the injured comprise 20 men, seven women, and seven children.
Emergency responders from the police, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, and NEMA, assisted by local volunteers, were quickly deployed to the scene to contain the fire and evacuate victims.
The injured were taken to the Essa Primary Health Centre, Idris Private Hospital, and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Bida.
Hussaini Isah, Head of NEMA Operations for Niger and Kwara States, confirmed that rescue operations were still ongoing as some residents were yet to locate missing relatives.
Eyewitness accounts painted a grim picture of the tragedy. Surajo Mohammed, a local resident, recounted: “Around midday, a tanker overturned near Essa.
”People rushed with buckets and jerrycans to collect petrol. Moments later, it exploded many were trapped and couldn’t escape.”
Community leader Ibrahim Gaawu blamed the accident on the deplorable state of the road, describing it as “a death trap.”
He appealed to both the federal and state governments to urgently fix the highway, which he said was last reconstructed decades ago.
“This road, built in 1923, has claimed too many lives despite several promises and funds reportedly allocated for repairs.
“We plead with President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritise its rehabilitation before more lives are lost, ” he said.
The explosion, which destroyed nearby shops and vehicles, has reignited public outrage over the recurring tanker accidents across the state.
Residents from Essa and neighbouring communities have since renewed calls for urgent intervention, stressing that the Bida–Badeggi–Agaie route remained one of Niger State’s busiest yet most neglected highways.
Government officials have promised to provide updates as rescue operations and investigations continue.
