At least 16 people have been reportedly burnt to death in a lone accident at the Buhari Estate axis on the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Spokesperson in Ogun State, Mrs. Florence Okpe, confirmed the tragic incident in a statement. She said the accident, which occurred around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 4th March, involved a Mazda bus with registration number KJA 949 YJ.
Okpe explained that the crash was caused by a fire outbreak in the vehicle, which was carrying a filled gas cylinder. The cylinder reportedly exploded, leading to the fatal incident.
She said a total of 21 people were involved in the crash, with 16 losing their lives and three others sustaining injuries. She noted that the gender of the deceased could not be immediately identified as they were burnt beyond recognition.
“The injured victims were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta, while efforts were ongoing to evacuate the bodies from the scene.
“The genders of the victims could not be ascertained at the scene because they were burnt beyond recognition.
“A total of 16 people were killed in the crash while three sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“The Sector Commander, Akinwumi Fasakin, quickly moved to the crash scene with his team for rescue operation but he was not pleased with the occurrence.
“The driver should have objected to carrying a cylinder filled with gas,” she said.
She advised motorists that highly flammable items should be transported with care and by designated vehicles driven by trained drivers only.
