A pregnant woman and eight others were burnt to death, yesterday, when a commercial passenger bus rammed into a vehicle laden with petrol in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Eight others were said to have survived the crash with multiple burnt injuries.
It was gathered that the accident occurred at Ilorin International Airport road along Ilorin-Ogbomoso expressway at about 8:00 am.
An eyewitness said the driver of the vehicle laden with PMS with number plate, LRN 787 FE, had no national driver’s licence, adding that the driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Hiace commercial bus, had no national driver’s licence too.
An eyewitness said 20 people, eight males and 12 females, were involved in the crash, while a male and eight females were reported dead.
It was also gathered that eight males, however, survived the accident with burns and multiple injuries.
Another source in the state command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, told journalists that the Lagos-bound passenger bus had loaded at the Gerin Alimi motor park, heading outwards the metropolis when it rammed into the vehicle laden with fuel.
The private vehicle said to be coming out of the airport reportedly failed to wait for the oncoming passenger bus leading to the fatal accident.
It was gathered that the vehicles involved somersaulted and had tyres burst before bursting into flame.
The state sector commander of the FRSC, Jonathan Owoade, who confirmed the development, described the crash as unfortunate.
Owoade said: “A car coming out of the airport ran across the road, thinking it could have crossed the road before the bus gets to it. Incidentally, it was carrying some kegs of fuel. I would surely get back to you with details, including registration numbers of the vehicles.”
The sector commander also said the injured persons had been taken to the state general hospital, Ilorin before his men arrived at the scene of the crash, adding that the deceased was taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) mortuary, Oke Oyi by the FRSC rescue and patrol teams.
