Minna — No less than 48 people have been confirmed killed in a petrol tanker explosion that took place on Sunday afternoon along Lapai- Agaie road in Niger state.

50 cows were also burnt in the incident that occured when the petrol tanker collided with a truck loaded with travelers.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) which confirmed the incident in a statement said the truck was carrying some people and cattle from Wudil in Kano state to Lagos.

The statement said two other vehicles, a crane and a pick-up, van were also burnt in the accident.

According to NSEMA, men of its rapid response team have been despatched to the scene to "conduct search and rescue operation" adding that it believed that more corpses are still trapped inside the trucks.

The statement said the 48 corpses recovered had been given mass burial in Agaie town.