A motorcyclist has been confirmed as a casualty of a tanker explosion in Gombe State.

The fuel tanker exploded in Tumfure village along the Gombe-Bauchi highway on Wednesday, July 31, 2019.

The motorcyclist died in the resulting fire that also torched five locked shops.

A Red Cross official, Abass Mohammed, told The Punch that the explosion was as a result of a collision with a trailer.

“The tanker, which was loaded with fuel, was coming out. There was a container on its way, it made an attempt to drive past the container, oblivious of a stationary trailer ahead.

“The tanker driver collided with the container, erupted in fire, and caused the death of a motorcycle operator, while five shops were razed,”

He said.

Firefighters are reportedly still on the scene battling to extinguish the fire.

A similar tanker explosion in Benue earlier this month resulted in the death of 60 people.