Jigawa tanker explosion: Why dis kain accidents continue to dey happun for Nigeria and how to prevent am?

Di death toll for one deadly tanker fuel explosion incident don reach 153 pipo for Jigawa State, wey dey northern Nigeria.

Di police tok-tok person for di state, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam, tell BBC Pidgin say di number don increase to 153 pipo wey die, and about 100 pipo injure wia dem collect treatment for Aminu Kano hospital, Jahun, Nguru, Hadejia and Gumel hospital.

Dem don do funeral prayer and bury some of di victims near where di accident happen.

Di accident happun on Tuesday around 11:30 pm afta di tanker bin comot from Kano to Nguru wey dey for Yobe state, di driver loose control of di truck wen e reach Majiya, one town for Taura Local goment Area for Jigawa State.

Afta di tanker fall, di fuel wey e dey carry pour for road and di gutter wey dey for di side of di road. DSP Lawan tok say as pipo see di fuel, dem rush go di place go pack am, afta dem don overpower di security pipo wey dey try stop dem make di tanker no explode.

"We try our best to stop pipo from going to di to get petrol but despite say we block di area, dem overpower us and as pipo bin dey scoop fuel, fire burst," E tok.

Di victims don bin take to Ringim and Hadeja, Aminu Kano hospital, Jahun, Nguru, Hadejia and Gumel hospital for treatment.

But DSP Lawan tok say di tanker driver escape wit im life afta di tanker fall.

Di driver, wey no injure dey police custody while dem dey conduct investigation.

Videos and photos wey circulate online show pipo wey dey burnt beyond recognition as dem scatter for di area of di explosion.

Dem cover some of di dead bodies with grass and tree branches as pipo gada to look.

Dis incident dey happun as citizens of Nigeria dey cry under di latest hike in price of petrol wey many say don dey above di reach of di masses.

Dis na di third time for 2024 wey price of fuel dey go up. E don rise from about 187 to 1,100 naira in just one year.

Why dis kain accidents continue to dey happun for Nigeria?

Meanwhile, fuel tanker explosions and accidents dey common for Nigeria.

Earlier for September, 59 people die for Niger state after one fuel tanker jam lorry wey carry passengers and cattle.

Experts tok say bad maintenance of vehicle and roads dey among di tins wey dey cause truck accidents wey sometimes dey lead plenty pipo to die.

One safety expert Engineer Emmanuel John, CEO of Ochenwa Mobility, wey be Sustainable Transport and Road Sector Organization wey dey for Abuja tell BBC Pidgin say many factors na im dey cause dis kain of accidents

“Number one na di state of trucks and tankers for Nigeria.

One data from di Federal Road Safety Corps tok say 90% of di trucks on our roads don reach 30 years old and above. E mean say we get a fleet of trucks wey dey old and poorly maintained, carrying fuels, and so dat na why dem dey accident prone.

For Nigeria no matter how old di vehicle dey, as long as di tyre dey turn and di engine can move it, you go see am for road.”

Oga John add say, “anoda reason na di general safety issues and di enforcement of traffic rules for di trucking subsector wey dey very difficult.

“FRSC and oda traffic agencies focus on physical arrest of vehicles.”

E add say di greed of pipo wey dey take advantage of tanker wey fall and wey wan fast-fast scoop fuel to make quick money also join.

“Of course, many pipo dey attribute am to poverty, but poverty no mean say you go go die wen you see fire dey burn.

If tanker fall and fuel dey run like water e dey equal to fire, if you go dia e mean say you don sign to go die.”

Anoda expert, public commentator Kabiru Abubakar tell BBC Pidgin say many pipo go see dis incidents like natural disaster but di truth na di bad roads dey cause am and also di way pipo wey dey live around no dey see di disaster wey fit come from am.

“Di first tin be say Nigerian roads dey really bad and na di reality be dat.

Di second one na di traffic control, e suppose be say big trucks go only dey move for night, di time wey temperature don cool down.” Abubakar tok.

Tips to avoid tanker explosion incidents

For di ways to avoid dis kain disasters in di future for Nigeria, Oga Emmanual John tok say, “we need to renew di vehicle fleet, policy wey go say if your truck don reach certain age or certain maintenance level, you go exit di fleet,” John tok.

E add say, “Nigeria need to improve im technology wey go support traffic rules wey no require you to go stand on di road to stop truck, wey be di current practice.”

Di last tin na when di tank fall, make citizens stop to dey go close, no matter how juicy e look.

"Make citizens stop to dey go near truck wey fall becos when you get close na you go pay di high price.”

On di oda hand, Oga Abubakar tok say di measure wey go help avoid dis kain incident in di future na for di goment to repair roads wey bad, do traffic control and also make pipo know how dangerous e be anytime dem dey around fuel tankers wey fall.

E add say for many developed kontiris, traffic control dey wia e dey veri hard for fuel tankers to dey carry loads during di day or even travel for road.