• Home
  • AFRICA
  • Town grieves after deadly Nigeria fuel tanker blast
GRIEF: The death toll had reportedly increased to 170 by Friday. PHOTO: AL JAZEERA
GRIEF: The death toll had reportedly increased to 170 by Friday. PHOTO: AL JAZEERA

Town grieves after deadly Nigeria fuel tanker blast

‘We’ll never forget’
Survivors and relatives try to find peace after 170 mostly young people died after a tanker exploded in Jigawa State.
AL JAZEERA
Days after a fuel tanker explosion killed 170 mostly young people in Majia, a farming town in northern Nigeria’s Jigawa State, the close-knit community is still reeling from the overwhelming loss.

“It was a terrible situation that we have never witnessed in this town; many people lost their lives,” local businessman Mustapha Abdullahi told Al Jazeera.

“In my family, we lost about 52 people – all blood relatives.”

It was about 23:00 on Tuesday when a tanker that was transporting fuel from neighbouring Kano State swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle, then overturned, according to witnesses.

The petrol started flowing out of the tanker, and passersby and residents rushed over with bottles to collect what had spilled on the ground and through nearby drains.

The driver, who escaped the crash, tried to warn the crowd to leave the area for safety, witnesses said, but most did not listen. Then, at about midnight, there was a big explosion, followed by a fire that ripped through the surrounding area.

The flames engulfed the dozens of people who were gathered near the tanker, as well as others who had arrived to try and help them. Authorities and locals said some 100 people died on site, and others later at the hospital.

“Those that were injured are being taken care of in various hospitals across the state and neighbouring state,” Abdullahi said, thankful to those who provided help.



Calls for help

Uzairu Musa Mainama, a local butcher who went out to help after the initial accident, sustained serious burns but survived.

“I was at home when I heard people screaming and calling for help,” he recounted. At first, he stayed home, but said he then thought the injured may need help. “[I thought] that there will be people involved which may need to be rescued. But after reaching the place, in less than three minutes, the fire started.”

Though he could not recall all the details, he remembered being “pushed away from the fire”.

“I quickly got up and removed my burning shirt, I took myself to the clinic and there we were, more than 100 that were injured.”

Some 70 people are still in intensive care in hospitals, police spokesman Lawan Shiisu Adam said on Friday.



‘Very dangerous’

In health facilities in Jigawa and neighbouring states, doctors, nurses and other support staff continue to work to save the lives of critically injured victims.

Residents said almost every family in Majia and adjoining communities has been affected by the tragedy – directly or indirectly.

On Friday, Adam said the death toll had increased to 170 – up from about 150 on Thursday.

Rescue personnel and survivors said the casualty figure could rise, considering that some of the victims sustained third-degree burns with vital organs affected.

In Majia, residents told Al Jazeera 120 people had been buried at a mass gravesite we visited on the outskirts of town, while 50 others were buried elsewhere.

Comments

Namibian Sun 2024-11-07

No comments have been left on this article

Please login to leave a comment

Premier League: Fulham 2 vs 1 Brentford Katima Mulilo: 22° | 36° Rundu: 20° | 31° Eenhana: 21° | 31° Oshakati: 21° | 31° Ruacana: 20° | 31° Tsumeb: 19° | 26° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 23° Omaruru: 20° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 19° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 12:28, High tide: 06:39, Low Tide: 00:56, High tide: 18:52 Swakopmund: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:37, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:50 Walvis Bay: 15° | 24° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:36, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:49 Rehoboth: 20° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 36° Aranos: 20° | 34° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 22° | 36° Oranjemund: 15° | 24° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 19° | 27° Lubumbashi: 17° | 33° Mbabane: 13° | 24° Maseru: 12° | 25° Antananarivo: 14° | 30° Lilongwe: 22° | 29° Maputo: 19° | 26° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 22° Durban: 16° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 31° Lusaka: 20° | 31° Harare: 17° | 30° Currency: GBP to NAD 22.44 | EUR to NAD 18.73 | CNY to NAD 2.43 | USD to NAD 17.41 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.26 | EGP to NAD 0.34 | KES to NAD 0.13 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.07 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 132.99 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.4 | USD to EGP 49.23 | USD to KES 129.2 | USD to NGN 1668.91 | USD to ZAR 17.41 | USD to ZMW 26.9 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1858.03 Down -1.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14296.93 Down -0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 31045.26 Up +0.82% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9878.53 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 666.34/OZ UP +0.08% | Copper US$ 4.34/lb UP +2.63% | Zinc US$ 3 072.00/T UP 3.09% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.83/BBP DOWN -0.0089 | Platinum US$ 977.67/OZ DOWN -0.0067 Sport results: Premier League: Fulham 2 vs 1 Brentford Weather: Katima Mulilo: 22° | 36° Rundu: 20° | 31° Eenhana: 21° | 31° Oshakati: 21° | 31° Ruacana: 20° | 31° Tsumeb: 19° | 26° Otjiwarongo: 18° | 23° Omaruru: 20° | 32° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Gobabis: 19° | 28° Henties Bay: 16° | 22° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: SW, Low tide: 12:28, High tide: 06:39, Low Tide: 00:56, High tide: 18:52 Swakopmund: 15° | 18° Wind speed: 19km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:37, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:50 Walvis Bay: 15° | 24° Wind speed: 23km/h, Wind direction: W, Low tide: 12:26, High tide: 06:36, Low Tide: 00:54, High tide: 18:49 Rehoboth: 20° | 30° Mariental: 22° | 35° Keetmanshoop: 24° | 36° Aranos: 20° | 34° Lüderitz: 14° | 24° Ariamsvlei: 22° | 36° Oranjemund: 15° | 24° Luanda: 25° | 27° Gaborone: 19° | 27° Lubumbashi: 17° | 33° Mbabane: 13° | 24° Maseru: 12° | 25° Antananarivo: 14° | 30° Lilongwe: 22° | 29° Maputo: 19° | 26° Windhoek: 17° | 29° Cape Town: 17° | 22° Durban: 16° | 23° Johannesburg: 15° | 26° Dar es Salaam: 26° | 31° Lusaka: 20° | 31° Harare: 17° | 30° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 22.44 | EUR to NAD 18.73 | CNY to NAD 2.43 | USD to NAD 17.41 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.26 | EGP to NAD 0.34 | KES to NAD 0.13 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.64 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.07 | RUB to NAD 0.18 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 132.99 | USD to AOA 909.05 | USD to BWP 13.4 | USD to EGP 49.23 | USD to KES 129.2 | USD to NGN 1668.91 | USD to ZAR 17.41 | USD to ZMW 26.9 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1858.03 Down -1.09% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 14296.93 Down -0.02% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 31045.26 Up +0.82% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9878.53 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 666.34/OZ UP +0.08% | Copper US$ 4.34/lb UP +2.63% | Zinc US$ 3 072.00/T UP 3.09% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 74.83/BBP DOWN -0.0089 | Platinum US$ 977.67/OZ DOWN -0.0067