Two Pupils, three others burnt to death
Salimot Raji
Five persons including two pupils have been reportedly roasted to death yesterday when two fuel tankers collided at Asejire area on Ibadan-Ife expressway which caught fire instantly.
Six other persons according to a report by Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, sustained various injuries and are now receiving treatment in the hospital.
One of the dead pupils was said to be waiting for a bus along the road when the raging inferno consumed him. Several buildings, shops, mechanic workshops and market stalls were completely razed by the fire, which emanated from the spilled content of the fallen trailer.
The accident according to FRSC officials caused traffic gridlock along the expressway as the section from Ibadan end was closed to traffic while the evacuation of the burnt vehicles was ongoing.
A report said, a victim, identified as Tajudeen Bakare, whose house was ruined in the inferno told newsmen at the scene of the accident the unfortunate incident was caused when two tankers in attempt to overtake each other hit themselves.
One of the tankers, he said fell and its contents spilled into gutters and small stream which caused an explosion.
The unit commander of the FRSC, Egbeda, Commander Abiodun Akinlade who confirmed the accident explained that “around 7.30am, we received a call that there was an accident and on coming down we discovered one of the articulated vehicles had skidded off the road and burst into flames”.
According to the commander, “It is like they were doing competition on the highway, trying to overtake each other. I also understand that a school bus was also trying to pick a child and the fallen tanker affected the bus and we lost two people there. We also lost two people from the articulated vehicle”.
At the scene of the accident were burnt vehicles and the trailers.
