10 VECHICLES BURNT IN A TANKER ACCIDENT ALONG LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESS

MOTORISTS had a nasty experience yesterday on the ever-busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway.



Many were trapped in a terrible traffic jam, which followed an all-night fire sparked by a tanker that spilled its 33,000 litres of petrol on the road.



Five persons were feared dead. Ten vehicles, including three tankers, were burnt in the fire, which was still smouldering in the afternoon.



The incident occured at Danko village near Ogere-Remo.



The inferno halted traffic on the nation's foremost highway for more than 10 hours.

Many people travelling to Ibadan from Lagos aborted their trip.



Those who died were burnt, according to eyewitnesses. But the police said only one person died.

Spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said:



"The accident occurred at about 1 am on Thursday while a driver of a tanker fully loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) was trying to manoeuvre his way through two vehicles on the expressway. His tanker fell and the product spilled on the road.



"In the course of this spill, a fire broke out and the entire area was engulfed by fire.



"A casualty was reported. A male whose identity is yet to be ascertained but investigation is on-going."



But a man who claimed to have witnessed it said the incident was preventable if the road was in a good shape.



According to him, seven trailers and many cars were burnt.



"The tanker driver could not say that he was not aware that the road was bad. He was on high speed when suddenly he ran into a pot hole and this led to the accident. The tanker fell after manoeuvring its way in between two cars.



"We counted five bodies but I am sure that the casualty figure would be more than that."



Curled from TheNation Newspapers.