Passengers burnt to death as two buses collide, catch fire in Ondo

By ADEREMI BAMGBOSE

Many people were on Friday feared dead and others burnt beyond recognition while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a ghastly auto accident on the Ore-Okitipupa axis of Ondo State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accident which resulted into an inferno occurred due to a head-on collision involving a white Toyota Coaster bus and a white Ford J5 bus.

An eye witness told NAN that the Coaster bus passengers were believed to be coming from a function and were returning to Akure.

He said no fewer than 10 people died in the accident, adding that the J5 bus which was loaded with tanks of local gin and the Coaster bus had a head-on collusion while they were trying to maneuver a bad portion of the road.

The local gin in the J5 bus was said to have aided the fire which later smoldered after the head-on collusion with the accident causing a traffic gridlock for more than one hour at the axis.

Mr Sikiru Alonge, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Unit Commander, Ore Unit Command, who confirmed the accident to NAN said the number of dead bodies could not be confirmed.

He said that five people who sustained varying degrees of injuries were rescued from the accident and had been taken to the State Specialist Hospital, Okitipupa and Prima Hospital in Ore for proper care.

Alonge said that joint efforts by the FRSC, Nigerian Police and Army helped to quell the fire, clear the debris and evacuate the burnt bodies from the accident site.

The FRSC boss urged motorists and other road users to always refrain from over-speeding on the highway in order to avert avoidable road accidents. (NAN)