Tragedy in Niger State: 59 killed in fuel tanker collision

It has been confirmed that 59 people have died in Niger State, central Nigeria after a fuel tanker collided with a truck carrying passengers and cattle, the state emergency agency reported.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency reported that the collision occurred on Sunday at around 00:30 local time (23:30 GMT). As a result of the explosion, both vehicles were destroyed.

The agency's director general, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, stated that rescue teams were dispatched to manage the situation. The explosion also affected several other vehicles.

Hussain Ibrahim, spokesperson for the Niger State crisis unit, told the BBC that the death toll might still rise.

The death toll has risen to 59 after one of the seriously injured people died in hospital, and more bodies were found at the accident site.

It's also possible that more dead bodies could be discovered in the process of the continued evacuation, Hussain Ibrahim stated.

In footage from the scene of the incident, taken shortly after the accident, two completely burnt vehicles and several dead cattle can be seen. After the disaster, a rescuer said they were trying to extract the bodies and dead animals that were still in the vehicle.

Funerals for most of the victims were held on Sunday. - This without doubt is the worst accident we have recorded in many years – Ibrahim said, emphasising that the Niger State government is covering the hospital treatment costs of the injured.

In a condolence message to the victims' families, Governor Umaru Bago said he was "shaken by this unfortunate incident".

Fuel tanker explosions and accidents are common in Nigeria, partly due to the poor state of the roads.