3 Die, 5 Rescued As Fire Razes Bus, Trailer In Oyo

The Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr. Moroof Akinwande, disclosed this on Sunday, saying the agency received a distress call about the incident at exactly 00:20 hours.

He said the call was received through the agency’s control room, following reports of vehicles on fire at the location.

According to Akinwande, fire service officers led by PFS I Makinde Kunle promptly mobilised to the scene.

“Upon arrival, it was discovered to be a J5 bus with unknown registration number loaded with bakery machines, which rammed into the rear of a stationary DAF trailer with an unknown registration number carrying synthetic materials, and both were engulfed by fire,” he said.

He explained that the fire crew launched a coordinated firefighting operation using chemical compounds to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby properties.

“Three people (burnt) were recovered, while five persons were rescued alive and sustained minor injuries. It took the fire service hours before the fire was completely extinguished,” Akinwande said.

He attributed the incident to the J5 bus driver losing control of the vehicle and crashing into the trailer parked by the roadside.

The fire service chairman urged road users to obey traffic rules and regulations, advising motorists to avoid night journeys where possible to reduce the risk of accidents caused by falling asleep while driving.

Akinwande also urged members of the public to remain vigilant about fire hazards and stressed the importance of installing fire extinguishers in vehicles, buildings and shops to enable fires to be tackled at their early stages.