At least 26 people lost their lives in
separate auto accidents in Lagos and Kwara
states on Monday night, PUNCH Metro has
learnt.
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.
“Monday night, 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 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.

Rip to the dead