By Muhammad Garba
The death toll of the petrol tanker explosion in Majiya town, Taura Local Government Area (LGA) of Jigawa State, on Wednesday, rose to 147.
Shu’aibu Hambali, the Chairman of Taura LGA, confirmed the latest causality figure in the evening while speaking on a live radio station, Arewa Radio.
Meanwhile, Governor Malam Umar Namadi, his Deputy, Engr. Aminu Usman and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly were among the early sympathizers who attended the mass burial of 107 who died in the accident.
The mass burial was attended by thousands of families’ friends and sympathizers including political leaders, Traditional Rulers, and religious leaders who gathered in the town to pay their last respects to the victims.
Confirming the tragic incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Lawal Shisu Adam, said that at about 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, when the villagers started scooping fuel from the fallen petroleum tanker, it suddenly exploded into flames.
DSP Lawal noted that the tanker driver was coming from Port Harcourt and heading to Nguru in Yobe State when the driver lost control of the vehicle and it fell at Majiya village.
“The content in the tanker flooded gutters and drainages in the village. The villagers started fetching the fuel where the petrol went into flame”.
As a result, 95 people were confirmed dead and 50 have been hospitalized receiving treatment,” Adams disclosed.
The police image maker cautioned the villagers to distance themselves from similar situations in the future.
Speaking after the funeral prayer Governor Malam Umar Namadi extended his condolence message to the immediate families of the deceased and the entire people of the state, describing the incident as an unprecedented tragedy that ever claimed such several Jigawa state citizens’ lives.
“In this critical time, we have nothing to do than to pray to Almighty Allah to grant the souls of our departed sons and brothers eternal rest in Jannatul Firdausi.”
“All of us including the immediate families of the victims must take hearts and accept it as an act of destiny”
Governor Namadi however maintained that all necessary action must be taken to prevent such occurrences in the future, including public enlightenment and timely reinforcement of security wherever the report of tanker accident is received.
He also directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately assess the situation and provide emergency relief materials to the family of the deceased and directed the state to take responsibility for the medical bills of those who sustained injury.
The Governor has also visited the survivors at Hadejia General Hospital, Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kudu, and Jahun General Hospital.
The Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Haruna Mairiga, said the total number of those buried in the mass grave was 107 and most of them burnt beyond recognition.
Speaking to our correspondent, one of the eyes witnesses Ibrahim Shehu said that when the tanker fell, the petroleum started spilling through the gutter.
He noted that the people started scooping the petroleum in a different container, and in that process, the fire caught in the gutter and spread to the tanker which exploded within seconds
“The fire was not started from the tanker it started from the gutter where people gathered scooping the petroleum
“Honestly speaking police and Civil Defense Corps had tried to stop people from scooping the petroleum but they were overpowered, unfortunately, see what happened” the eye witness stated.
Mustapha Shehu who lost his 25-year-old brother in the inferno said, that every family in the town had directly lost their loved ones, this was the biggest catastrophe we have never had in the history of Majiyaa town.
“Everybody in this town is in mourning we have nothing to say than Inalillahi Wanna Ilaihi rajuun”
Mustapha Abdusalam Majiya who was physically and emotionally touched, and couldn’t control the teardrop from his eyes and cascaded down his chest, said, he lost over 50 of his blood brothers.
“I told you we have an extended family in Majiya, as of now we are counting more than 50 whom we have lost in the tragedy from sons and grandsons of our family.
“I can’t add anything except Innalillahi Wanna Ilaihi Rajiun,” he stated.
