Over 90 people have been confirmed killed, following a petrol tanker explosion in Majiya Town, Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa state on Tuesday.
The tragic incident which was first reported by Mr Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, started around 11:45pm and lasted until 3:15am on Wednesday.
He said the blast ignited a massive fire that claimed many lives and left at least 300 individuals severely injured.
The flames reportedly spread rapidly, causing extensive damage and overwhelming emergency services in the area.
But confirming the development, Mr Shi’isu Adam, the spokesman of the command in Jigawa, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, said that 50 other persons had been hospitalised for varying degree of injury due to the explosion.
”At about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Majia Town, Taura local government area of Jigawa, the tanker driver lost control near Khadija University and it exploded.
“The driver left Kano and was heading to Nguru in Yobe. when the accident happened,” Mr Adam said.
He said, ”We are worried that in-spite of police warning for people to steer clear from scenes of accidents involving fuel tankers, they still engage in such acts.
”People gathered around the accident scene, that is the reason for the mass casualty,” he said
The police image maker added said that a mass burial of the victims would hold by 9am on Wednesday.
He said that the injured were receiving medical attention at the Ringim General Hospital.
