12 people were burnt to death in a fatal accident that occurred on Saturday at Otte on the Ilorin-Ogbomoso express road.
The accident, which was as a result of a head-on collision between a commercial Toyota ‘Hummer’ bus and a Volvo trailer loaded with cement according to the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Kwara State Fire Service, occurred at about 7am at Otte in the Asa Local Government Area of the state.
Six of the passengers were however rescued alive but with burn injuries, while the remaining 12 were burnt beyond recognition.
Sources said while the cement laden trailer was coming from a depot in one of the North Central states and going to the South, the passenger bus was coming from Lagos and heading to Sokoto State.
Information obtained from the FRSC said that the accident involved a white commercial ‘Hummer’ bus and a white Volvo bus loaded with Cement.
It said that the accident was a result of speed limit violation and route violation and loss of control.
The FRSC Sector Commander, Commander Jonathan Owoade, who confirmed the incident, said that 18 passengers were on board in the vehicle adding that while 6 were rescued from the scene of the accident and sustained burn injuries, 12 were burnt beyond recognition.
Owoade said that the injured were taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for treatment while the dead bodies were deposited in the morgue of the same Hospital.
The Kwara State Fire Service, whose men also participated in the rescue operation, said that “the collision claimed 12 lives on the spot, and other remaining victims were rescued out alive from the accident.”
According to a statement by the head of Media and Publicity of the Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, “One of the survived victims told firemen that the Toyota bus took off from Lagos and they were heading to Sokoto State.”
Adekunle said that the Director, Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade Olumuyiwa, urged drivers to be more careful with their driving styles, especially when carrying passengers and driving on the expressway.
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