Malam Shehu Mohammed, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has expressed condolences to the families of victims of the fuel tanker fire incident at Dikko Junction in Niger on Saturday
Mohammed’s condolence is contained in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
He described the human losses to the inferno as disheartening and disastrous, warning that such incidents must never be allowed to happen again.
He said it was rather regrettable that in spite of the Corps’s sustained enlightenment programmes, many people still fell victims to the unfortunate tanker incident.
The corps marshal revealed that 73 burnt bodies had so far been recovered by the rescue teams for final burial as arranged by the Niger Government.
He directed FRSC teams to sustain joint operations with other stakeholders to ensure effective traffic management and prevent further incidents.
“In the same vein, the accident investigation unit of the corps will work in collaboration with other agencies to unravel the causes and proffer solutions that could address future occurrence.
“Meanwhile, those who sustained injuries have been taken to different hospitals including Suleja General Hospital for further medical attention as normalcy has returned to the area with free movement of traffic,” he said.
According to Mohammed, inter-agency collaboration and robust engagement with the public remain an important integral part of safety management to ensure that the nation does not witness such incidents again.
“The nation was yet to recover from a similar incident that occured in Jigawa last year, and having to witness another incident of this magnitude at the beginning of the new year is painful and regrettable,” he said.
Mohammed reassured Nigerians that the FRSC would continue its collaboration with stakeholders to develop lasting solutions to road-based emergencies, prioritising defensive driving and incident management solutions .
While he prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims, he appealed for support for the families of survivours.
He, however, commended the prompt intervention of the Governor of Niger, who was physically present at the scene.
The FRSC boss urged tanker operators to always adhere strictly to safety standards and observe due protocols in transloading fuel products.
Mohammed also called on members of the public to stay away from scenes of tanker crashes and to report any incident promptly to the authorities. (NAN)
