From Femi Oyelola in Kaduna
A 71-year-old man, Aliyu Ramalan Bambale, lost his life following a tanker explosion in the Dan Magaji area along the Zaria-Kaduna Expressway. Four others were injured in the incident, which occurred five months after the federal government banned the movement of 60,000-litre fuel tankers on Nigerian roads.
The explosion took place around 8:30 AM in Dan Magaji, a location known for heavy traffic and frequent accidents involving large vehicles.
Nasir Falgore, the Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Zaria, reported that the accident involved an LPG tanker that crashed into the rear of an empty fuel tanker, leading to the explosion.
“When we arrived at the scene, only the two tankers were involved; there were no smaller vehicles. Three of the injured were occupants of the empty tanker, while the fourth was from the LPG truck,” Falgore said.
It was reported that the septuagenarian was on his way to his farm early in the morning when he heard the loud explosion resulting from the collision between the two tankers. He was a resident of Bambale in Zaria city.
His son-in-law, Malam Abdullahi Magaji, explained that in the ensuing chaos, Bambale ran for his life but was struck by a moving motorcycle rider.
“It was Monday morning when the old man was on his way to the farm when the tanker accident occurred. Malam Ramalan became frightened and started running for his life. As a result, he was hit by a motorcycle and sustained injuries. We were called to the scene, but before we could rush him to the hospital, he passed away. We then took him home for burial,” he said.
Magaji mentioned that the 71-year-old man is survived by two wives and six children. He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.
