10 dead as tanker explodes on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

In a tanker explosion along Lagos-Ibadan expresswauy on Thursday, ten persons were burnt to death in a tanker explosion.

The accident which occurred near Conoil before Sagamu interchange axis of the highway.

Florence Okpe, The Spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun sector command,  confirmed the incident in Abeokuta, saying 10 persons were burnt beyond recognition.

According to her, vehicles involved in the accident are: a Mack truck with registration number: AKL 198 ZT, an Iveco truck with no registration number, a Mazda bus marked, FFE 361 XB, an unmarked Howo truck and the Mack tanker.

Okpe blamed the accident on speeding on the part of the Iveco truck’s driver.

She said the driver of the speeding Iveco truck had lost control of the wheels and rammed into the tanker which resulted in the fire outbreak due to leakage.

Okpe added that the Mazda bus was engulfed by the fire.

“The suspected cause of the multiple crash was excessive speed which led to lose of control on the part of the Iveco truck and smashed the tanker body which resulted to fire outbreak due to leakage.

“The Mazda bus got engulfed in the spark of the fire”, Okpe said.

She added that the burnt bodies were taken to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.

Okpe quoted the Sector Commander FRSC Ogun Sector Command, Ahmed Umar to have commiserated with the family of the victims after visiting the scene of the incident.

She also quoted Umar to have advised motorists to drive cautiously, obey traffic rules and regulations as well as considering each other while driving.

(Daily Trust)