The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has confirmed that seven people were killed and one injured in a tanker explosion at Karamin Rami village in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.

NSEMA’s director general (DG), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday in Minna.

He said the explosion occurred on March 4 at about 6:30 p.m. when a tanker truck, attempting to manoeuvre on a bad road without shoulders, overturned and spilt its content—premium motor spirit (PMS)—into a nearby stream.

Mr Baba-Arah said the PMS came into contact with a water pump used by dry-season farmers in their rice fields, igniting a fire that spread back to the tanker, causing an explosion.

The DG added that the inferno extended to farmlands through the contaminated stream water, burning some farmers and destroying rice fields, fruit crops, and vegetation.

The seven victims were identified as Rafiatu Sahabi, Ramlat Shehu, Rashida Abdullahi Raliya, Abdulrahman, Zainab Ahmed, Zuwaira Idrisu, and Maryam Nura.

Mr Baba-Arah also confirmed that the injured victim, Maimuna Isah, was receiving treatment at the Saho Rami Primary Health Care Centre.

(NAN)