No fewer than five people were said to have been burnt beyond recognition when two trailers had a head-on collision in the Mowe/Ibafo area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Three trailers were also reportedly consumed in the incident which happened on Wednesday night. It was learnt that the fire was aggravated by one of the affected vehicles, which was laden with petrol.

Our correspondent gathered that the accident happened a few kilometres from a filling station in the Obafemi- Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that a truck loaded with granite was heading for Lagos when it had the head-on collision with the petrol tanker.

It was gathered that the tanker, which was heading for Sagamu in Ogun State, was driving against traffic when the incident occurred.

One of the witnesses, who declined identification, said, “A truck had a mechanical fault and blocked a portion of the expressway. This caused a traffic snarl, which led to some motorists driving against the traffic.

“A tanker heading for Sagamu had a head-on collision with a truck going inwards Lagos. That was how the fire started.”

It was gathered that the five victims were suspected to be drivers of the trailers and their conductors.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Commander Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone.

He said, “Officers of the corps were on ground immediately the incident occurred to manage the traffic situation around the area.”

Akinbiyi said the victims, whose remains had been deposited at a morgue in Sagamu, were burnt beyond recognition, adding that it was difficult for TRACE to read the number plates of the trailers.

It will be recalled that exactly a month ago, seven people died, while 23 others were injured in another multiple accident involving two passenger buses and a truck.

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