A minimum of 105 individuals have been reported deceased due to a petrol tanker explosion in Majiya town, located within the Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
Shiisu Adam, the Public Relations Officer for the state Police Command, verified this number during a phone interview with PUNCH Online on Wednesday.
He mentioned that approximately 55 people suffered injuries of varying severity and were admitted to Ringim General Hospital for treatment.
“As I am talking to you now, the casualty figure is about 105 and the number of injured is 55 as against the 50 earlier confirmed,” he said.
He stated that the event took place around 11:30 PM on Tuesday night in Majia Town, when the tanker driver lost control close to Khadija University.
According to him, the tanker departed from Kano and was heading to Nguru town in Yobe State when the driver lost control of the vehicle, resulting in an explosion.
Reports indicate that following the incident, some individuals arrived at the scene to loot the product, which resulted in numerous fatalities.
ICYMI: Tragic Tanker Explosion in Jigawa Claims 90 Lives
Reports indicate that several injured individuals have been transported to the Federal Medical Centre in Birnin Kudu because of the shortage of available beds at Ringim General Hospital.
Arrangements are underway for a mass burial of the deceased, as most of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.
