Barely days after a deadly tanker explosion claimed 45 lives in Essa community, another fuel-laden tanker overturned on Saturday morning in Takalafiya, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, but this time, disaster was averted.
The incident, which occurred at about 8:00 a.m., involved a tanker travelling from Lagos to Kano that lost control and overturned.
The prompt response of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) Fire Service and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) prevented a potential fire outbreak.
Eyewitnesses said members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Lapai Chapter, also arrived at the scene to assist in rescue efforts and ensure safety compliance.
Some of the spilled fuel was carefully recovered and transferred into containers to prevent wastage and reduce environmental hazards. No casualties were reported, and normal traffic flow was restored shortly after the scene was cleared.
READ ALSO: Niger State Tanker Explosion Death Toll Hits 45
The swift containment in Lapai stands in stark contrast to the October 21 explosion at Essa community along the Bida–Badeggi–Agaie Road in Katcha Local Government Area, which left 45 people dead and 63 others with severe burns, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
NEMA’s Head of Operations in Minna, Hussaini Isah, said the Essa explosion was triggered after residents rushed to scoop fuel from a crashed tanker on a bad section of the highway. The victims included 12 men, 27 women and six children.
Governor Umaru Bago has since approved free and comprehensive medical care for all victims, while Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the Federal Government’s condolences to the people of Niger State.
Emergency responders, including NEMA, NSEMA, NSCDC, FRSC, Police, DSS, and local volunteers, were deployed to the Essa scene despite difficult terrain and poor communication networks.
Authorities and community leaders have renewed calls for the rehabilitation of dilapidated roads across the state to prevent further tanker-related accidents and loss of lives.
