The Niger State Government has conducted a mass burial for the victims of the tanker explosion that left no fewer than 39 people dead and 60 others injured at the Essan community in Katcha Local Government Area of the state.
This is as the state government said it had donated medical supplies worth N10m to support the various hospitals that are treating the injured victims.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Niger State Governor, Bologi Ibrahim, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, the government’s delegation, led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Dr Murtala Bagana, had also visited the scene to assess the situation.
He said, “The state government explained that out of the about 50 injured persons, some are receiving medical attention for burns, others for inhalation-related injuries at various health facilities such as the Federal Medical Centre, Bida, and General Hospitals Bida, as well as Agaie, while those severely injured are in the National Hospital Abuja, Gwagwalada Specialist, and FMC Jabi.
“The state government has also provided drugs and medical supplies worth over N10m to support hospitals treating the victims and presented cash donations to the affected families receiving care in the hospitals.”
Ibrahim continued that a mass burial and a prayer session were conducted for the deceased victims.
While commending all the stakeholders that had shown concern for the incident, the government called for urgent rehabilitation of Federal Government roads in the state.
“A mass burial for the deceased victims was conducted in Katcha with a special prayer for the repose of their souls and quick recovery for the injured.
“The state government confirmed that normalcy has returned to the affected community and reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and well-being of all residents while emphasising the need to desist from scooping the content of any fallen tanker.
“It further enjoined the Federal Government to expedite action in fixing all federal roads in the state to avoid recurrence, as the poor state of the Jebba-Mokwa-Bida-Agaie-Lapai-Lambata road contributed to the tragic incident,” Ibrahim stated.
The tanker had fallen in a lone accident along the expressway.
Residents were said to have trooped to the scene to scoop fuel that had spilled on the road, during which the tanker became engulfed in flames, leaving at least 39 dead.