No fewer than eight people were burnt beyond recognition on Sunday on the Ologbo Bridge, Benin/Sapele expressway in Delta State.
Reports have it that a truck ladened with Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) product, coming from Warri, fell on the highway and spilled the PMS product on the road.
This led to an explosion that gutted 15 different categories of vehicles, which left seven people injured and eight victims burnt beyond recognition.
According to a statement by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirming the incident, the victims are all male.
FRSC Spokesman, Mr Bisi Kazeem, in the statement, disclosed that the fatal crash occurred on October 1 at about 1:00 pm.
Kazeem disclosed the 15 different categories of vehicles involved in the incident as 1 Toyota Hiace Bus, 2 FORD Buses, 1 Volkswagen Passat, 2 J5 Peugeot buses, 1 Daylong Motorcycle and 8 Tankers.
“From the report gotten from the FRSC rescue team, a total of 15 people, all male adults were involved.
Out of this number, seven people got injured, while eight victims were burnt beyond recognition.
“The truck ladened with Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS), coming from Warri, Delta State fell on the highway and spilt the PMS product on the road.
”This, hereby led to an explosion that gutted the aforementioned number of vehicles and the 15 male victims,” he said.
Kazeem quoted the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu as calling on fleet operators, especially owners of tankers conveying inflammable products to ensure compliance with minimum safety standards by installing safety valves (Anti spill) in their vehicles.
This, he said, is to eradicate all incidences of mishap resulting from lack of safety valves in tankers.
Biu also called on owners and operators of tankers to comply with all safety standards set by the government on operation of that category of vehicle on Nigerian road.
He directed Commanding Officers to ensure that tankers that do not meet safety standards were not allowed to ply the highways.
