Türkiye has extended its condolences to Nigeria over a fuel tanker truck explosion that killed dozens of people.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives due to the fuel tanker explosion that occurred yesterday in the Gurara Local Government Area of Nigeria,” Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
It conveyed its condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured.
The death toll from Saturday’s petrol tanker explosion at Dikko Junction in Niger State has risen to 86, with 55 injured and undergoing treatment, officials confirmed.
Mass burial
Abdullahi Baba-Arah, director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), provided the updated figures, adding that most victims were buried in a mass grave.
"A total of 86 persons have been confirmed dead, with their remains recovered and buried. Eighty were buried in a mass grave at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre premises, five were claimed by their families for burial, and one died at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre," Baba-Arah said on Sunday.
The disaster occurred when a speeding fuel tanker truck lost control and crashed.
When residents tried to collect leaking fuel from the overturned tanker, it ignited and exploded in a massive blaze, killing those at the scene, including rescuers.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
