A tragic incident occurred in Karamin Rami village, Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger State, on March 4, 2025, at approximately 6:30 p.m, when a fuel-laden tanker, struggling to manoeuvre through a bad road without a shoulder, lost balance and overturned, spilling its highly flammable Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) content into a nearby stream.
The stream, used by dry-season farmers for irrigation, became the epicentre of a catastrophic chain reaction when the spilt fuel came into contact with an operating water pump.
The pump ignited the fuel, leading to a fierce fire outbreak that swiftly travelled back to the tanker, causing a massive explosion.
Flames spread through the contaminated stream and engulfed the surrounding rice fields and fruit plantations.
Unfortunately, several farmers working in their fields were caught in the inferno. By the time the fire was extinguished, seven lives had been lost, and one person was severely injured.
The deceased victims have been identified as: Rafiatu Sahabi, Ramlat Shehu, Rashida Abdullahi, Raliya Abdulrahman, Zainab Ahmed, Zuwaira Idrisu, and Maryam A. Nura.
Meanwhile, Maimuna Isah, the sole survivor, sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment at Saho Rami Primary Health Care Center.
The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), Abdullahi Baba-Arah, confirmed the incident in an official statement. He attributed the tragedy to poor road conditions, which forced the tanker driver to manoeuvre dangerously, ultimately leading to the spill and explosion.
Emergency responders and local authorities have since been deployed to assess the damage and provide necessary support to the affected families.
This unfortunate incident highlights the urgent need for road rehabilitation in rural communities and stricter safety measures for fuel transportation.
Authorities are expected to launch further investigations into the disaster while seeking ways to prevent future occurrences.
The development comes after a similar tanker explosion in January which left many dead, and several injured.