In a tragic incident in Niger State, the Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) confirmed that seven people lost their lives and one sustained injuries following a tanker explosion at Karamin Rami village in Mashegu Local Government Area.
According to NSEMA Director General, Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, the accident occurred on March 4 at around 6:30 p.m. when a tanker truck, navigating a poorly maintained road without shoulders, overturned and spilled its load of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) into a nearby stream.
The leaked fuel came into contact with a water pump used by dry-season farmers for their rice fields, igniting a fire that quickly spread back to the tanker.
The resulting explosion not only claimed lives—identified as Rafiatu Sahabi, Ramlat Shehu, Rashida Abdullahi Raliya, Abdulrahman, Zainab Ahmed, Zuwaira Idrisu, and Maryam Nura—but also devastated adjoining farmlands, burning rice fields, fruit crops, and other vegetation.
The sole injured victim, Maimuna Isah, is receiving treatment at the Saho Rami Primary Health Care Centre. Local authorities continue to investigate the incident as residents cope with the extensive agricultural and personal losses incurred.
