No fewer than 90 people were confirmed dead, following a petrol tanker explosion in Majiya Town, Taura Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

Mr Shi'isu Adam, the Police Spokesperson in Jigawa, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday.

He also said that 50 other persons had been hospitalised for varying degrees of injury due to the explosion.

"At about 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Majia Town, Taura local government area of Jigawa, the tanker driver lost control near Khadija University and it exploded.

"The driver left Kano and was heading to Nguru in Yobe. when the accident happened," Adam said.

He said: " We are worried that in spite of police warning for people to steer clear from scenes of accidents involving fuel tankers, they still engage in such acts.

"People gathered around the accident scene, that is the reason for the mass casualty," he said

The spokesperson said that a mass burial of the victims would hold by 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

He added that the injured were receiving medical attention at the Ringim General Hospital.