File photo of an accident scene in Ogun state on August 23, 2024. Photo credit: ChannelsTV
The Ogun state Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) says 18 persons have died in a road accident in the Ogbere axis of the Benin-Sagamu expressway.
In a statement, Babatunde Akinbiyi, the agency’s spokesperson, said a Toyota Hiace (XA 690 AKU) vehicle crashed into a bad section of the road, leaving passengers burnt beyond recognition, with one injured.
Akinbiyi said an explosion, triggered by petroleum motor spirit (PMS) stored in a jerrycan in the vehicle, compounded the situation.
“Eyewitnesses and the driver confirmed that a jerrycan filled with PMS fell over when the bus hit a bad section of the road,” he said.
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“The fuel spilled onto the bus floor and ignited after coming into contact with the exhaust pipe, causing the vehicle to catch fire in transit.
“The partially burnt and injured driver rescued was taken to Rona Hospital in Ijebu Ode, while the dead were deposited at State Hospital Mortuary, Ijebu.”
Akinbiyi asked drivers to refrain from storing fuel in kegs to avert disasters.
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The TRACE spokesperson extended “heartfelt condolences” to bereaved families.
In August, the agency reported that four people died in road accidents in Abeokuta, the state capital.
On Monday, no fewer than 36 Muslim worshippers lost their lives in a road accident in Kaduna state.
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