Four persons are receiving treatment at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, following a collision between two tankers that triggered a fireball explosion on Monday morning in the Dan Magaji area along the Zaria–Kaduna Expressway.
The accident, which occurred around 8:30am, involved a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)-laden tanker and an empty tanker. The force of the impact ignited a blaze that engulfed both vehicles and injured the victims with varying degrees of burns.
Confirming the incident, the Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Zaria, Nasir Falgore, said that preliminary investigations showed the LNG tanker rammed into the back of the empty tanker after the latter suffered a sudden tyre puncture.
“Our initial findings indicate that the gas-laden tanker crashed into the rear of the empty tanker, which had a tyre blowout. The driver of the LNG tanker could not stop in time, leading to the collision and subsequent explosion,” Falgore said.
The FRSC chief said the accident caused significant traffic disruption on the busy highway, which serves as a major link between Kaduna and Kano.
Falgore appealed to tanker drivers to exercise greater caution, especially when transporting hazardous materials.
“Drivers should conduct pre-trip inspections, avoid overspeeding, and maintain safe following distances. Tankers carrying LNG or fuel should be driven with extra care because the consequences of a crash can be devastating,” he said.
The Area Commander of the Federal Fire Service in Zaria, Aminu Kiyawa, said his men swung into action immediately after receiving a distress call from passers-by.
“We mobilised our trucks and personnel within minutes. By the time we got to the scene, both tankers were already on fire. Our priority was to rescue any trapped victims and prevent the fire from spreading,” Kiyawa said.
According to him, three victims sustained burns from the LNG tanker explosion, while another person was rescued from the second tanker.
“All four were stabilised on the scene before being rushed to ABUTH, Shika, for further medical attention,” he said.
Kiyawa noted that, contrary to speculation on social media, no smaller vehicles were involved in the accident.
“When we arrived at the scene, only the two tankers were involved. No deaths had been recorded as of the time of our departure,” he clarified.
Kiyawa added that his team had to approach the blaze with extreme caution.
“Gas fires behave differently from petrol fires. We had to use specialised foam and water in calculated bursts to cool the tankers while preventing further explosions,” he explained.
Eyewitnesses told The PUNCH that the explosion could be heard several kilometres away.
A local trader, Mallam Musa Garba, whose shop is close to the highway, said the sound was “like a bomb blast.”
“I was arranging goods in my shop when I heard a loud bang, followed by thick smoke and fire. People ran in different directions, shouting for help,” Garba recounted.
Another resident, Mrs. Jummai Umar, said she initially feared a terrorist attack.
“We didn’t know what was happening. Everyone was screaming, and some people were trying to pour water on the fire, but it was too big,” she said.
Monday’s crash is the latest in a string of tanker-related accidents in Kaduna State over the past five years. In 2021, a petrol tanker explosion along the Kaduna–Abuja Expressway claimed at least seven lives. In 2023, another incident in Makarfi Local Government left three dead and several injured.
Residents say the Zaria–Kaduna highway, in particular, has become a hotspot for such tragedies, given the high volume of heavy-duty vehicles and poor road discipline among some drivers.
“We see reckless driving every day. Tankers overtake on curves, they speed downhill, and sometimes they are overloaded,” lamented commercial driver Haruna Bello, who plies the route daily.
A volunteer from the Red Cross in Zaria, who assisted in evacuating victims, said better coordination could save more lives.
“We need more emergency stations along the expressway, especially in high-risk areas like Dan Magaji. Sometimes, by the time help arrives, the fire has already consumed everything,” he said.
