Eighty-six individuals who fell victim to the fuel tanker explosion on Saturday in Dikko, located in the Gurara Local Government Area of Niger State, have been laid to rest, as reported by the State Emergency Management Agency yesterday.
According to the agency’s Director-General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, the mass burial, organised in cooperation with Gurara LGA and local volunteers, took place on Sunday at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre.
He said that while the majority of the bodies were buried in a mass grave, family members collected five for interment in their native towns, and one person died at the healthcare facility.
The tragedy unfolded after a fuel tanker overturned at Dikko Junction, a key route linking Niger and Kaduna states. As locals tried to collect the spilt fuel, a large fire broke out, resulting in numerous fatalities, including those who attempted to help the victims.
Travellers and bystanders also caught themselves in the blaze, and many businesses in the vicinity were destroyed.
The roads surrounding Dikko, especially the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, experience heavy traffic. The poor condition of the roads has increased the likelihood of accidents, as numerous drivers tend to steer clear of the more dangerous Kaduna-Birnin Gwari route.
