The death toll from a fuel truck explosion in northern Nigeria has reached 98, following the discovery of more bodies on Monday. The blast occurred in Dikko, Niger State, on January 20 after a petrol truck overturned and exploded.
Many of the victims had been attempting to collect fuel from the wreckage when the explosion occurred. Abdullahi Baba-Ara, director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), confirmed that 69 people are currently being treated in local hospitals for injuries sustained during the blast. Over the weekend, 80 victims were buried in a mass grave at a health center in Dikko.
Baba-Ara reported on Monday that 12 additional bodies were recovered from the site, bringing the total number of fatalities to 98.
This incident is the deadliest of its kind since October, when a similar explosion in Jigawa State killed 147 people.
