Accident Claims 18 Lives As Passengers Burnt To Death
- On Ijebu-Ode/Ore Expressway
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (OSTCEA) has confirmed the death of 18 passengers in Ogbere area of Ijebu East Local Government, along the Ijebuode/Ore Expressway.
The accident involved a Toyota Hiace, with registration number XA 690AKU and all the passengers were burnt beyond recognition, while one person sustained varying degrees of injury.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the State-owned traffic Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the unfortunate development, said the tragedy was caused by an inferno from Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) stored in a jerry can inside the vehicle.
A statement issued by Akinbiyi in Abeokuta, the state capital, said; “According to eye witness account and this was corroborated by the driver, there was keg full Petroleum Motor Spirit inside the bus, it fell on it’s side when the vehicle got to failed portion of the road.
“The PMS poured on the floor of the bus and later dropped on exhaust pipe and caused the vehicle to caught fire on transit.
”The partially burnt and injured driver was rescued to Rona Hospital in Ijebu Ode, while the dead were deposited at State Hospital Mortuary in Ijebu Ode.”
However, urging drivers to refrain from storing fuel in Jerry cans to avoid such unfortunate and deadly situations, the OSTCEA Spokesperson commiserated with the families of the deceased while wishing injured driver quick recovery.
