Tragedy struck in the early hours of Thursday around the Sagamu axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as a petrol-laden tanker exploded killing 10 persons. About three vehicles were also completely razed.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Ogun State, Ahmed Umar, confirmed the incident to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Umar said the explosion occurred at about 1 am today (Thursday) around Araromi town, after Conoil filling station, before Sagamu Interchange on the Expressway.
According to Umar, five vehicles were burnt in the accident; a Mack truck marked AKL 198 ZT; an Iveco truck with no registration number; a Mazda bus marked FFE 361 XB, an unmarked Howo truck and the Mack tanker.
Umar added that the Mazda bus was engulfed by the fire, adding that all those that died were occupants of the bus.
He said while the cause of the incident remained unknown, eyewitnesses attributed it to over speeding by the driver of the Iveco truck.
“The Driver of the Iveco truck, who was travelling on top speed lost control and rammed into the tanker, which resulted in the fire outbreak due to leakage”, he said.
The FRSC chief also said 12 persons were involved in the accident; 10 were burnt to death while two occupants of the vehicles escaped.
Umar said the bodies of the victims were taken to Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital in Sagamu while some of the burnt vehicles were towed off the road leaving the two tankers for the fuel content to be transloaded.