The Federal Government, President Bola Tinubu, his deputy, Kashim Shettima, Southern governors and Muhammad Buhari have condoled with the government and people of Niger State over the petrol tanker explosion.
Also, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, expressed grief as the death toll hits 86 with 80 buried in a mass grave.
Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, director general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said in Minna, yesterday, that five of the victims were carried away by their relatives for burial while one died at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre.
He said the mass burial was carried out in collaboration with authorities of the Gurara Local Government Council and volunteers. He confirmed that the number of injured persons was now 55.
The tanker explosion occurred on Saturday on the Dikko-Maje road in Gurara Local Government Area.
Some residents had besieged a fallen tanker, scooping fuel. An attempt to switch on a generator to ease the transfer of the petrol triggered an explosion, resulting in the deaths and destruction of properties.
The Federal Government has directed immediate transfer of victims from Suleja General Hospital to tertiary health facilities to ensure proper medical care.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, stated this when he led a Federal Government delegation which included the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda and some heads of agencies, for on-the-spot assessment and to condole with the government and people of the state.
“President Bola Tinubu is deeply saddened by what has happened. He asked us to come here to see the situation. We have just gone round the wards and we have seen those that are critically injured.
“One of them unfortunately passed on and we were told that this is the eighth victim of the fire explosion that has passed on today and what we are seeing is the dire need of emergency medical attention.
“The Minister of Heath and the National Emergency Management Agency and all agencies of government will ensure that all these victims are immediately evacuated and taken to the Intensive Care Unit of the immediately available tertiary institutions.”
He nonetheless commended the state government for its swift response to the incident, especially in the provision of emergency medical response.