The death toll from Saturday’s fuel tanker explosion at Dikko junction on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway has risen to 86, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) said yesterday.

It said 80 of the victims had been buried in a mass grave on the premises of the Dikko Primary Healthcare (PHC). NSEMA Director-General Abdullahi Baba-Arah said five of the victims were carried away by their relatives for burial while one died at the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre.

He said the mass burial was carried out by NSEMA in collaboration with authorities of the Gurara Local Government Area and volunteers. Baba-Arah confirmed that the number of injured persons was now 55.

The agency said: “The mass burial was carried out by NSEMA in collaboration with Gurara LGA and courageous volunteers between the hours of 5pm and midnight.

“The number of injured now stands at 55, with one death recorded at Dikko PHC.” The truck said to be carrying 60,000 litres of fuel exploded after flipping over on a road.

While a crowd of people rushed to the spot where the tanker had turned over in search of fuel, it exploded. The explosion killed both those collecting fuel and others attempting to rescue them.