No fewer than 77 persons have been confirmed dead in the petrol tanker explosion that occurred on the Dikko-Maje Road opposite Badeggi filling station in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
The Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the death toll to Channels Television.
Baba-Arah, in a telephone conversation with Channels Television, said 25 injured victims were rushed to various hospitals in Suleja, Wuse, and nearby health facilities for urgent medical attention.
His confirmation came after an earlier figure of 50 given by the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Kumar Tsukwam, the Sector Commander of the FRSC in Niger State, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Minna, the state capital, said a loaded petrol tanker fell at the scene of the incident with people scooping the spilling fuel, unaware of the impending danger.
Tsukwam said those who went to scoop fuel were engulfed by the flames just as those who went to rescue them were also affected.
He said more than 50 people lost their lives in the tragic incident.
He, however, gave an assurance that personnel of the corps and other sister agencies were on ground for the rescue mission.
He confirmed that his men were on the scene, working tirelessly to rescue those trapped.
Baba-Arah said the explosion occurred at about 9am on Saturday.
He said the incident happened when a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, crashed, and an attempt was made to transfer its contents to another tanker.
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In the process, the PMS came into contact with a generator used to effect the transfer, triggering an explosion that claimed more than 50 lives.
He added that many other persons were injured, while properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed.
Baba-Arah said NSEMA in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency, Suleja LGA Emergency Committee and volunteers were carrying out search, rescue and recovery operations.
He said the injured have been moved to the hospital for treatment while efforts were being made to recover the corpses of the deceased.
NAN reports that more details are expected as the response operation is still ongoing.
He urged residents of the area to remain calm and cooperate with emergency responders as they work to mitigate the effects of the disaster.