According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State leader Kumar Tsukwam, the incident began when a tanker truck carrying gasoline overturned, spilling its contents.

Local residents including children who had gathered to collect the spilled fuel were caught in the subsequent explosion, which caused another tanker to explode.

The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) reported that the explosion occurred when spilled gasoline contacted a generator being used to facilitate the fuel transfer process.

[4] The Nigeria Governors’ Forum gave its condolences to the victims' families, offered prayers for those killed in the disaster, and urged all Nigerians to behave "with extreme caution and absolute respect for life at all times" in similarly dangerous situations.

[8] The Niger State Emergency Management Agency, under Director General Abdullahi Baba-Arah, conducted initial investigations into the cause of the explosion.