18 burnt to death after fuel trickles on bus’ exhaust pipe

The lone accident involved a Toyota Hiace with number plate, XA 690AKU.

It was gathered that all  the passengers  were burnt beyond recognition, while the driver escaped with injuries.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic  Compliance and Enforcement  Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the death of the 18 passengers in a statement in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

He said that the accident was caused by a fire from a jerry can filled with petrol.

“According to eye witness account and this  was corroborated by the driver, there was a keg full Petroleum Motor Spirit  inside the bus, it fell on it’s side when the vehicle got to a failed portion of the road.

“The PMS poured on the floor  of the bus and later dropped on exhaust pipe and caused the vehicle to catch fire on transit,” he said.

He added that the injured driver was taken to Rona Hospital in Ijebu Ode, while the  dead were deposited at State General Hospital mortuary, in Ijebu Ode.

Akinbiyi who commiserated with the families of the deceased urged drivers to avoid storing fuel in their vehicles.