Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that at least 85 civilians were killed by an army airstrike in the northern part of the country on Sunday.
Earlier reports said that about 30 people had been confirmed dead in the attack at Tudun Biri village in the northwestern state of Kaduna.
"The Northwest Zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing," NEMA said in a statement on Tuesday.
The agency said that at least 66 people were receiving treatment in hospitals in the state.
President orders 'thorough' probe
Describing the incident as "very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful" President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday ordered a "thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident."
On Monday, Kaduna State's interior ministry commissioner Samuel Aruwan said an investigation had indicated that the civilians were killed in an "unfortunate and unintended" attack.
Aruwan said the military had "explained the circumstances" which led to the incident.
According to an army commander, VU Okoro, the soldiers were on "a routine mission against terrorists" but accidentally killed civilian members of the community.
Air Force denies responsibility
The Nigerian Air Force denied responsibility over the Sunday strike.
The Nigerian military has been targeting suspected insurgents in the northern part of the country in its efforts to rein in insecurity.
On November 24, an Air Force strike in Borno State killed at least 100 suspected militants in Tagoshe and Mandara Mountains areas.
On November 1 and 2, the soldiers killed "several terrorists" in Katsina and Borno states.
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