Over 140 killed in Nigeria as overturned fuel tanker explodes
Jigawa, Nigeria: In an incident reported from Majiya town, Jigawa State, on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, over 140 people, including children, lost their lives after a fuel tanker overturned and exploded. The incident occurred as residents rushed to collect fuel leaking from the truck before it erupted in flames. Dozens more sustained severe injuries, with many victims burned beyond recognition, according to emergency officials.
The tanker accident, one of many such incidents in Nigeria, highlights the dangerous reality faced by residents grappling with rising fuel prices and poor infrastructure. Desperate to gather fuel, locals took a fatal risk as they approached the overturned tanker. Since the Nigerian government ended fuel subsidies last year, the cost of fuel has tripled, pushing many into situations where scavenging becomes a dangerous necessity.
The explosion occurred shortly after midnight when the tanker’s driver lost control of the vehicle on a highway, police spokesperson Lawan Adam said. The subsequent fire spread quickly, trapping several people at the scene. "People were running in all directions, screaming for help," recounted Sani Umar, a resident who witnessed the disaster, speaking to local Channels Television.
Emergency response teams arrived at the scene but were met with a grim aftermath. Nura Abdullahi, the regional head of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), reported that nearly 140 victims were buried in a mass grave due to the extent of the burns, while others were interred separately. Many victims were unidentifiable because of the severity of the burns.
Dr. Haruna Mairiga, head of Jigawa emergency services, expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of life. "If they had known the danger, they wouldn’t have gone to fetch the fuel," he said, adding that most victims died instantly as the fire quickly engulfed the area.
Fuel tanker explosions are not uncommon in Nigeria. According to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps, over 1,500 such accidents were recorded in 2020, leading to 535 deaths. Experts blame weak enforcement of traffic and safety regulations, along with poorly maintained fuel tankers that are prone to spillage during accidents.
Timothy Iwuagwu, president of the Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria, criticized the country's lack of public safety awareness and enforcement. “There are not enough awareness campaigns, and compliance with safety measures is often ignored,” Iwuagwu said, calling for stronger action to prevent further tragedies.
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Gujarat: Mevani demands collector’s suspension over ‘anti-Dalit’ remark; IAS officer rejects charge
Mahnisagar, Oct 30: Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani on Wednesday demanded the suspension of Mahisagar District Collector Neha Kumari, accusing her of making anti-Dalit comments, a charge the bureaucrat rejected.
Mevani’s demand comes a week after he sought similar action against senior IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian for allegedly misbehaving with him and one of his party colleagues.
Mevani targeted Kumari citing a purported video in which she was heard saying that 90 per cent of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, or the Atrocities Act, are used for blackmailing.
The IAS officer termed the lawmaker’s claims “baseless” and an unsuccessful attempt to get political mileage.
Mevani visited Lunawada, the district headquarters, and demanded that an FIR be registered against the collector under the Atrocities Act and that she was suspended over her “insensitive” remarks and “unparliamentary” words.
When one Vijay Parmar went to meet the collector with his grievance at the SWAGAT programme on October 23, she used “unparliamentary” words against him and also insulted the lawyer community by saying they should be “slapped with slippers”, the Vadgam MLA told reporters.
SWAGAT is an initiative of the Gujarat government for the redressal of people’s grievances.
According to Mevani, the collector’s claim that 90 per cent of cases under the Atrocities Act are misused for blackmailing is an insult to the SC and ST communities and amounts to an offence under the Atrocities Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“We demand Kumari's suspension and that a case be registered against her,” he said.
The district collector called the MLA’s allegations a “political stunt”.
“The man whom the MLA called poor, innocent young friend (Vijay Parmar) has a police case against him, and his brother has more than one case of rape, kidnapping and assault against him,” Kumari said, adding that they keep visiting the collector’s office with grievances.
At the SWAGAT programme on October 23, he pressured the collector to file a case against police officers. When the collector told him that she did not have the power to file a case and that he should approach the superintendent of police (SP) or the court, he continued to pester her over his issue, she said.
He even threatened the officers and told the collector that she was a Brahmin and he would let her know what “section 4 of the Atrocities Act entailed”, she said.
“You can understand the direction in which this MLA wants to take law and order by keeping a person with a criminal history along with him even when the state government is sensitive about children and women,” she said.
The collector said that the way Vijay Parmar is “blackmailing” government employees in the name of the Atrocities Act is not at all right. “The MLA's support to such people makes it difficult for the real complainants and the real victims to get justice,” she said.
Last week, Congress leaders and Dalit community members gathered outside the office of the Director General of Police in the state capital Gandhinagar demanding the suspension of senior IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian over his alleged misbehaviour with Mevani and his party colleague.
