18 passengers burnt beyond recognition in tragic expressway motor accident
Eighteen passengers has been confirmed dead by the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), following a devastating accident along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore Expressway in the Ogbere area of Ijebu East Local Government.
The accident involved a Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number XA 690 AKU, which burst into flames, leaving all passengers burned beyond recognition. One survivor, the driver, sustained injuries.
TRACE spokesperson Babatunde Akinbiyi revealed in a statement that the fire was caused by petroleum motor spirit (PMS) stored in a jerry can inside the bus.
The fuel spilled when the vehicle hit a rough patch of road, igniting upon contact with the exhaust pipe.
“The jerry can fell over, and the fuel leaked, causing the fire,” Akinbiyi explained.
The injured driver was taken to Rona Hospital in Ijebu Ode, while the victims’ remains were transferred to the State Hospital Mortuary.
TRACE urged drivers to refrain from carrying fuel in jerry cans to avoid such disasters, extending condolences to the victims’ families.
