The National Emergency Management Agency has provided food, non-food items and medical supplies to aid in the treatment of injured victims and offer assistance to the impacted families in reaction to the sad fuel tanker fire tragedy at Dikko Junction in Niger State.
This was revealed by the agency in a statement on Tuesday.On Saturday morning, the tanker exploded across from Baddegi Station on Dikko-Maje Road.
A crashed tanker carrying Premium Motor Spirit reportedly spilt its contents while attempting to move the fuel to another tanker, causing the catastrophe.
The explosion was caused by the spilt PMS coming into contact with a generator that was used to power the transmission.
98 people were killed, 69 people were injured to varying degrees, and 20 shops were destroyed in the incident.
She said, “Based on the report of the initial rapid assessment carried out by officials of NEMA, NSEMA, and other first responders, we are here to provide immediate assistance with food, non-food items, and medicaments to the affected families.”
NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, visited the community and flagged off the distribution of relief materials, saying the intervention was in accordance with President Bola Tinubu’s directive and the Federal Government’s commitment to helping the community recover from the disaster.
Mrs. Umar expressed sympathy for the people and gave her word that NEMA would organise all-encompassing measures to support their recuperation. She also emphasised how important it is for communities to prioritise proactive measures and disaster preparedness in order to protect people and property.
NEMA, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, firefighters, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, medical staff, security officers, community members, and other stakeholders were among the first responders who she praised for their prompt action in preventing additional harm and saving lives.
During the event, Afiniki Daudu, the Deputy Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for its timely delivery of relief supplies via NEMA. Alhaji Abdulhalim Abubakar, the Chairman of the Gurara Local Government Area; Abdullahi Arah, the Director General of Niger State SEMA; and local leaders were also present.