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| Four people dead, 3 injured and 27 buildings destroyed when a petrol tanker skidded and caught fire |
A petrol tanker has exploded in Maje town, on the outskirts of Abuja, killing four people and destroying 27 buildings, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has said.
NEMA D-Zone co-ordinator, Ishaya Chonoko, said the tanker fell and then exploded, killing the two victims and injuring six others. Two of the 29 buildings destroyed were residential apartments while 25 were shops.
According to Chonoko, the injured have been taken to hospital and the situation has been brought under control.
No fewer than four persons died on Sunday in a fire accident when a petrol-laden tanker exploded close to the NNPC Depot in Maje in Suleja Local Government Area of Niger State.
Among the dead were the tanker conductor, one Ibrahim, while the others were one Halima, a visitor to a relation in the area and two other unidentified persons.
The Chairman, Suleja Local Government Council, Malam Yunusa Adamu, who attended the burial of the victims, pledged to foot the hospital bills of the injured victims, who were now receiving treatment at Suleja General Hospital.
Meanwhile, Edwin Nwokike, the Suleja unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, and the Police Public Relations Officer, Pius Edobor, have confirmed the incident, saying that investigations into the accident had commenced.
Nwokike warned tanker drivers to park at the designated parking space provided for them to avoid a repeat of such incident
