15 people, all men, Monday morning, died in an auto crash at Muslim cemetery, along Ogbomoso-Oko Olowo route on Ilorin-Jebba expressway, Kwara State.

17 people were also reported to have sustained varying degrees of injuries including: fracture, dislocation and bruises while 16 survived unhurt.

Eyewitnesses said the driver slept off on the wheel while the truck skidded and overturned.

Our reporter reliably learnt that the fatal crash, which occurred at about 2:32 am, was a lone accident, involving an articulated vehicle DAF XF with registration number: GWL274XC.

Confirming the crash, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), sector commander, Kabiru Babatunde Kazeem, who gave name of the driver as Nasiru Muhammed, said a total of 48 men were involved in the crash.

According to the FRSC, the cause of the accident was fatigue on the part of the driver, adding that the type of injury sustained include

Babatunde said the injured victims had been taken to Arewa medical centre and Baki Hospital for medical attention, adding that the corpses had been handed over to the representatives of the families and Sarkin Hausawa, Oko Olowo in the Moro local government area of Kwara.

As at the time of filing the report, the FRSC boss said search for victims buried under the load, was going on, adding that the rescue operation was jointly carried out by personnel of RS8. 15 Oloru and RS8. 1 Kwara (Oko Olowo outpost).

The sector commander said the command intended to intesify public enlightenment through the town hall meeting with relevant stakeholders while he advised motorists to avoid mixed loading and night traveling.