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Tanker explosion kills nine in Osun

By From Timothy Agbor, Osogbo and Yetunde Jeariogbe, Lagos
13 October 2020   |   3:42 am
Many road users died yesterday in multiple accidents that occurred along the Ilesa-Akure highway, Osun State. It was gathered that the accident occurred around 11:35a.m. at Erin-Ijesa, a town in the Oriade Local Government Area of the state.

• Driver, passenger die in lone accident on Third Mainland Bridge
• Another four die in Lagos-Ibadan highway crash

Many road users died yesterday in multiple accidents that occurred along the Ilesa-Akure highway, Osun State. It was gathered that the accident occurred around 11:35a.m. at Erin-Ijesa, a town in the Oriade Local Government Area of the state.

The Guardian learnt that a diesel-laden tanker spilled its content on the highway, causing explosions that affected many vehicles. An eyewitness account revealed that the tanker fell on the move and caught fire immediately.

The source said the accidents caused gridlock on the highway while some vehicles got burnt with passengers on board.

“Many vehicles are affected and it has even caused gridlock on the road. This is a terrible situation. Many died and got injured but I don’t know the exact casualty figure yet,” the eyewitness said.

The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service, Mrs. Adijat Basiri, confimed the multiple accidents. According to Basiri, nine casualties were recorded while one person sustained severe burns and had been hospitalised. The fire affected 11 vehicles.

MEANWHILE, the driver of a commercial bus and an unidentified male passenger were yesterday confirmed dead in a lone accident involving the bus on the Third Mainland Bridge. The incident occurred at 6:55a.m., few hours after both sections of the bridge were opened after three days of being shut for maintenance.

According to eyewitnesses’ account, the driver of the bus with number plate GGE 95 XY, painted in white, was driving inward Iyana-Oworo when one of the rear tyres burst. An adult male survivor who pleaded anonymity said the driver had been warned of his recklessness but he turned deaf ears until the unforeseen happened.

Another survivor, Mr. Titilola Olamijulo, said: “We planned to report him to law enforcement agents but he escaped this before the vehicle suffered tyre burst and he died.”

Other occupants of the vehicle were said to have sustained different degrees of injuries. The Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okunbor, confirmed the incident, saying the agency administered First Aid treatment on the injured occupants while the deceased were evacuated by the appropriate agency.

Earlier, four persons were confirmed dead in an early morning accident involving a Mazda bus and a Daf truck around Saapade bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Mr Ahmed Umar, the FRSC Sector Commander in Ogun State confirmed the incident to newsmen.

Umar said the accident occurred at 2:50a.m. and was caused by route violation and dangerous driving. He explained that the truck driver drove wrongfully against traffic and had a head-on collision with the Mazda bus.

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