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At least seven people lost their lives on Tuesday following a fuel tanker explosion in Niger State, which also killed several bystanders and destroyed farmland in the community.
The incident occurred in Karamin Rami village, Mashegu Local Government Area of the state at around 6:30 pm.
Our correspondent learnt that the accident happened when a tanker truck attempted to manoeuvre through bad roads.
The victims of the explosion were identified as Rafiatu Sahabi, Ramlat Shehu, Rashida Abdullahi, Raliya Abdulrahman, Zainab Ahmed, Zuwaira Idrisu, and Maryam A. Nura.
One woman, Maimuna Isah, sustained injuries and is receiving treatment at Saho Rami Primary Health Care Centre.
The tanker overturned and spilled its contents onto the road, with the fuel flowing into a nearby stream where dry-season farmers were working on their rice fields.
The spilled fuel reportedly came into contact with a water pump in use by the farmers, igniting a fire that spread back to the tanker, causing it to explode.
The inferno extended to the farmland through the contaminated stream, burning several farmers, rice fields, and fruit vegetation.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the incident on Friday, stating that agency staff were on the ground to assess the situation.
“NSEMA has received reports of a tanker explosion that occurred in Karamin Rami village, Mashegu Local Government Area, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at around 6:30 pm.
“The explosion resulted from a tanker truck attempting to navigate bad roads without proper shoulders. The tanker overturned, spilling its contents (PMS) into a nearby stream where farmers were working.
“The fuel came into contact with a water pump, igniting a fire that spread back to the tanker, triggering the explosion. The fire then moved through the contaminated stream, setting ablaze the farmland, burning crops, vegetation, and some farmers.
“Seven people lost their lives, and one person was injured. The deceased have been identified as Rafiatu Sahabi, Ramlat Shehu, Rashida Abdullahi, Raliya Abdulrahman, Zainab Ahmed, Zuwaira Idrisu, and Maryam A. Nura. The injured woman, Maimuna Isah, is receiving treatment at Saho Rami Primary Health Care Centre,” Baba-Arah stated.
