At least 105 people have been confirmed dead following a petrol tanker explosion in Majiya town, in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The Public Relations Officer of the state Police Command, Shiisu Adam, confirmed the figure in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online on Wednesday.

He said that about 55 people sustained various degrees of injuries and were hospitalized at Ringim General Hospital.

“As I am talking to you now, the casualty figure is about 105 and the number of injured is 55 as against the 50 earlier confirmed,” he said.

According to him, the incident occurred at about 11:30 pm on Tuesday night in Majia Town, when the tanker driver lost control near Khadija University.

The tanker, he said, left Kano, on its way to Nguru town in Yobe State, when the tanker driver eventually lost control of the vehicle and it exploded.

It was gathered that after the incident some people went there to scope the product which led to the death of many persons.

It was also gathered that some injured persons have also been taken to Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kudu due to the limited number of beds at the Ringim General Hospital.

Preparations are currently being made to give the dead persons a mass burial given that the majority were burnt beyond recognition.