Eight die in Niger fire accident

Eight persons have been confirmed dead while twenty others sustained various degrees of injuries in a fire accident that occurred in Birni Maza along Lapai-Lambata-Abuja road in Niger state.The fire accident which occured on friday night involved a petroleum tanker and two Toyota cars.The six occupants of the Toyota cars including the drivers were  burnt beyond recognition while the driver and the conductor of the tanker sustained high degree of injuries.The fire started when the two Toyota cars trailing the tanker, whose fuel was leaking, scratched their bottom plates on the trail of  the fuel on the road.The bottom plates then ignited and caught fire. According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened very fast and did not give the occupants of the vehicles a chance to escape.The fire was so intense that even the villagers who came to rescue the accident victims were also affected in the accident as they sustained various degree of injuries.
The Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NISEMA), Mohammed Shaba confirmed the incident stating that the dead victims were buried at the spot of the accident while all injured victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Bida and the rural hospital Lapai.
He however said that two of the injured victims died on Saturday morning..
According to him, eight deaths have already been recorded while twenty others sustained various degrees of injuries.Shaba said, “As I am talking to you now I am on my way from Lapai to Bida where some of the victims with various degree of injuries are hospitalized.”
He then attributed the cause of the accident to the poor state of the road leading to Abuja.  “I can tell you the cause of the accident is the dilapidated nature of the road, it is unfortunate the road that link the Federal Capital Abuja and the Southwest is in that shape, we appeal to the federal government to do something about the road.”
The  Emir of Lapai, Alhaji Umar Bago has commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in the accident while praying for those who sustained injuries to have quick recovery.