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It was learnt that while about 20 people lost their lives in a tanker fire in the Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State, five others were burnt to death when a runaway truck driver collided with three vehicles including two stationary tankers in the Igando area of Lagos.
Although some of the residents who witnessed the Kwara accident told journalists on Tuesday that the figure of dead victims may be more than 20, the Kwara State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Mary Wakawa, said only four people died while four victims sustained injuries and were being treated at a hospital.
Our correspondents learnt that the fire was caused by an accident involving a tanker laden with petrol.
An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the accident occurred around 9.30pm on Monday when the truck fell while trying to negotiate a bad portion of the road.
He stated that the truck later burst into flames. He added that the petrol conveyed by the tanker poured out and spread to nearby houses.
According to him, the fire raged for many hours and destroyed houses, shops and property valued at millions of naira.
The FRSC commander confirmed that the accident and the resultant inferno happened around 9.30pm on Monday.
She added that FRSC officials rushed to the scene as soon as they were alerted.
“Last night (Monday) a tanker caught fire at Bode Saadu at about 9.30pm. Eight people were involved, four of them died and four sustained serious injuries. It was a lone accident and we have been there since yesterday (Monday night). The fire was still on as of Tuesday morning, but it had been doused. We have sent out our men to the site to clear the road for traffic,” she said.
The Public Relations Officer of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Mr. Hassan Kadiri, said four of the injured victims had been brought to the hospital as of the time of filing this report.
He added that they suffered about 85 degree burns and had already been transferred to different clinics after initial treatments at UITH’s Accident and Emergency Unit.
Kadiri, however, said the number of injured victims could be higher than four as there were victims who had yet to be transferred to UITH from the accident scene.
He added that the Commissioner for Health, Mr. Kayode Issa, saw the injured victims and pledged on behalf of the government to take care of their bills.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the corpses had been deposited at the UITH mortuary.
Meanwhile, at least five people were burnt beyond recognition after a truck rammed into stationary vehicles and burst into flames in the Igando area of Lagos.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the fatal collision occurred at about 10pm near General Bus stop, Isheri-Igando Road, Igando, Lagos.
Eyewitnesses reported that five burnt bodies – all said to be males – were recovered from the scene by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.
It was also learnt that policemen attached to the Igando and Isheri divisions later came to the scene to try to put the situation under control.
When one of our correspondents got to the area around 9.30am on Tuesday, the fire was still burning in one of the affected tankers, which was loaded with empty bottles of soft drinks.
Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the accident was caused by an unidentified truck driver, who was trying to get away after reportedly hitting a vehicle and a pedestrian on Iyana Iba Road.
It was said that the driver had some minutes before getting to Igando, hit a vehicle near the Lagos State University gate on Iyana Iba Road, and some angry motorists were on his trail.
Our correspondent learnt that in a bid to escape from his pursuers, the driver sped off in his truck, and ended up causing a fatal accident at the General Hospital Bus stop- an incident which led to the raging fire.
An eyewitness, Mr. Wasiu Alao, told PUNCH Metro that the fire raged all night, causing traffic gridlock for early morning motorists going to work.
He said, “The truck driver had caused an accident in front of LASU gate, involving another vehicle, and he was fleeing the scene. He was driving like a drunken man, and trying not to get caught. So when he got here 10pm, a man was on his own lane going in a private car.
“The truck driver swerved and hit the vehicle and also hit two parked trailers which caused a spark and its petrol tank caught fire immediately. The fire swept through everywhere, enveloping the private vehicle too.
“All efforts by the man to get out were unsuccessful, as the fire had melted the doors of his car. The fire burnt all night. Even this morning, it took concerted efforts to clear the rubble off the road to allow motorists to move.”
It was learnt that the victims were one Mr. Adebayo Ahmed, who drove the private car which the truck collided with, the three occupants of the driver’s truck, and a man said to be asleep under one of the stationary trailers.
PUNCH Metro, as of the time of visit, observed LASEMA officials and some policemen trying to control traffic, and clearing the debris of the burnt vehicles off the road.
Another eyewitness, who declined to give his name, said that apart from the five corpses, two pedestrians were also badly injured in the fire, and were rushed to the General Hospital, Igando for emergency medical attention.
However, when PUNCH Metro got to the hospital, an official said the victims had been referred to a university teaching hospital.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said five corpses had been recovered.
He said, “Two vehicles, stored with alcoholic drinks and a mini truck were together; both stationed along the road. A mini truck ran into them and it caught fire. Another Honda also ran into it. The driver died instantly.
“During the firefighting operation, we recovered one body that fell into the gutter and four others were recovered from the other vehicles. They were all dead. But we were able to rescue two survivors. They suffered different degrees of burns. Fire trucks from Agege and Isolo divisions responded with 10,000 litres of water each.”
The General Manager of LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-sanyintolu said the agency had released one of the corpses to the family for burial, while the remaining corpses had been deposited at a morgue.
He said, “Mr. Adebayo Ahmed, driver of the Honda I-Vtech with number plate BDG 638 BP Lagos, was also burnt in the accident. He was returning from Habol petrol station Ewedogbo around LASU Igando Road. He was the manager of the filling station.
“His body has been handed over to his family members for burial according to Islamic rites while the remaining bodies have been taken to the Mainland Hospital.”
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