Eight killed, vehicles burnt as speeding tanker, truck collide in Ogun

Eight people were killed and 15 others sustained varying degrees of injury on Wednesday in two different crashes in Ogun State.

An early morning accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reportedly claimed the lives of five people, who were burnt to death.

The accident, which involved a petrol tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit and a truck, occurred around the Tunji Alegi Filling Station in the Kwakyama area of Ogere and a truck.

Our correspondent gathered that five vehicles that were parked along the road were also consumed by the inferno.

Another accident occurred a few hours later at the Sand Crete area, Ogunmakin, on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, leaving three people dead and 15 others injured.

The Public Education Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State, Florence Okpe, confirmed the accidents.

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She attributed the first accident to dangerous driving and wrongful overtaking on the part of the petrol tanker.

Okpe explained that the tanker, which was on top speed, collided with the truck, which was travelling from Lagos to Ibadan, while trying to overtake.

She said, “A total of five persons were burnt beyond recognition. They were recovered from one of the crashed trucks and deposited at the FOS Morgue, Ipara.”

She added that the second accident involved two vehicles: a Mazda bus, marked SKN135 XA, and a Range Rover, with number plate, 345DCT.

Okpe explained that the bus, which was coming from Ibadan, skidded off the road to the other lane and collided with the Range Rover, which was coming from Lagos.

She said, “Fifteen persons were injured: seven male adults and eight females. The commercial bus caught fire, while the Range Rover was totally damaged and yet to be recovered from the bush.

“Three deaths were recorded from the crash: one of them was burnt beyond recognition.”

Okpe disclosed that the victims of the accident had been taken to the Idere hospital for medical attention.

A similar incident happened on Sunday night, where seven persons were burnt to death on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, said the contractor handling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be held accountable for his failure to provide safety signs on the road.

Abiodun spoke during an on-the-spot assessment of the Ogere Tollgate end of the highway on Wednesday.

He said the failure of the contractors to put safety signs on the road led to the preventable loss of lives on the country’s busiest route.

Punch