Three persons were on Monday burnt to death in a multiple motor accidents that occurred along Ilorin-Jebba expressway in Kwara State.
The accident, it was gathered occurred at about 3.05pm when a truck conveying feeds enroute Lagos attempted to overtake another vehicle collided with an oncoming trailer conveying brewery products while a tanker carrying petroleum product which was closely trailing the tanker carrying brewery products also crashed into the two vehicles, leading to multiple crashes.
The collision of the vehicles later ignited the fire that escalated due to the presence of petroleum product.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the inferno burnt the three vehicles and a motorcycle which got caught up in the crash.
The sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Stephen Dawulung, confirmed the accident and the casualty figure in a statement signed by the Corps’ head of public education, Olayinka Basambo.
The statement read: “On 15th January, 2024 a fatal multiple crash involving four vehicles occured around 1505hrs along Olooru to Okoolowo which led to an inferno that got the vehicles burnt.
“On receipt of the report of the crash around 1515hrs, FRSC rescue operatives were immediately mobilized to the crash scene where they worked in conjunction with operatives of Nigerian Police Force and Federal Fire Service to rescue some Passengers before fire ignited.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that a conveying feeds enroute Lagos while attempting to overtake another vehicle collided with an oncoming trailer conveying brewery products while a tanker carrying petroleum products which was closely following the tanker carrying brewery products also crashed into the pre-existing leading to a multiple crash which ignited the fire that escalated due to presence of petroleum products. The inferno burnt the three vehicles and a motorcycle which got caught up in the crash.
“There were a total of five people involved in the crash, two of them who were passengers on the motorcycle sustained injuries and were taken to General hospital, Ilorin but the remaining three involved in the crash sadly lost their lives as they got burnt in the inferno. The corpses of the dead have been claimed by their relatives.
“Investigations are however still ongoing to ascertain the cause of the crash. So far, the fire has been put out and clearing of obstruction along the route is ongoing but an alternative route has been created for traffic to flow pending the removal of the articulated vehicles blocking the route.”
