A tragic fuel tanker explosion in Niger State has claimed seven lives and left farmlands in ruins. The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Karamin Rami village, Mashegu Local Government Area, when a tanker lost control while navigating a bad stretch of road.
According to reports, the tanker overturned, spilling its contents onto the road and into a nearby stream where farmers were working on their rice fields. The highly flammable fuel mixed with water from the farmers’ pumps and ignited, triggering an explosion that engulfed the area.
The resulting inferno spread rapidly, burning crops, fruit vegetation, and some of the farmers caught in its path. The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the identities of the deceased: Rafiatu Sahabi, Ramlat Shehu, Rashida Abdullahi, Raliya Abdulrahman, Zainab Ahmed, Zuwaira Idrisu, and Maryam A. Nura. Another victim, Maimuna Isah, sustained injuries and is receiving treatment at Saho Rami Primary Health Care.
Authorities are investigating the incident, while residents are calling for urgent repairs to the deteriorating roads to prevent future tragedies.
