The death toll from Saturday’s petrol tanker explosion in Niger state has risen to 98, with 69 injured and 20 shops burnt to the ground.
The death toll as of Sunday was 86, with 55 injured, even as there was concern that many of the injured victims may not survive, given the grave nature of their injury.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, made the latest figure available in a statement on Monday.
He said, “More deaths have been recorded from the fire incident. The latest figure is now 98 deaths, 69 injured, and 20 shops burnt down.”
Meanwhile, Chronicle NG gathered that so far, out of the 43 injured victims that were admitted at the General Hospital Suleja, seven of them have died due to the gravity of their injuries, while three of the injured patients out of the 23 admitted at the General Hospital, Sabon-Wuse have also died.
Ten patients brought to the General Hospital Suleja were referred for specialist care in Abuja, while three were successfully treated and allowed to recover at home.
The state administration has promised everyone that it will cover the costs of treating the injured victims, and the federal government has also stated that it will cover the costs of treating all injured victims referred to the FCT for more intense care.
The fire started on Saturday morning when a speeding tanker laden with fuel collided and spilt all of the fuel on the road.
Indigent citizens of the state rushed to scoop the petroleum on the road when the tanker caught fire, burning the majority of them.
The bodies have already been interred in a mass grave.
