Three people were burnt to death while five others were rescued with minor injuries after a bus loaded with bakery machines rammed into a stationary trailer at Jobele, headquarters of Afijio Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, in front of the Afijio Local Government Secretariat, according to the Oyo State Fire Services Agency.

The agency, in a statement, said it received a distress call at about 12:20 a.m. reporting that vehicles were on fire at the location.

‘’Firefighters led by PFS I Makinde Kunle were immediately deployed to the scene, where they discovered that a J5 bus with an unknown registration number had rammed into the rear of a stationary DAF trailer, also with an unknown registration number’’, the statement read.

The bus was reportedly carrying bakery machines, while the trailer was conveying synthetic materials. Both vehicles were engulfed in flames when the firefighters arrived.

The agency said its personnel launched a coordinated firefighting operation using chemical compounds to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby properties.

It added that three people were recovered burnt, while five others were rescued with minor injuries. The operation lasted several hours before the fire was completely extinguished.

The agency attributed the incident to the bus driver’s loss of control, which caused the vehicle to crash into the trailer parked by the roadside.

Personnel of the Federal Fire Service, Oyo Command, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Amotekun Corps Jobele Unit and the police from Jobele Divisional Headquarters also attended the scene.

The fire service team returned safely to its station at 9:17 a.m. and resumed operational standby, the statement added.

The Special Adviser on Fire Reform and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Dr Moroof Akinwande, urged motorists to obey traffic rules and avoid driving when tired or sleepy.

He also called on road users to exercise caution when travelling at night and called on vehicle owners, building occupants and shop operators to install fire extinguishers to help contain fires at their early stages.