Tragedy as 16 burnt to death in Ogun auto crash

A fatal road accident along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway in Ogun State has claimed the lives of at least 16 passengers, who were reportedly burnt to death, while three others sustained injuries.

The lone crash, which occurred near Buhari Estate around 1:00 PM on Tuesday, involved a white Mazda bus with registration number KJA 949 YJ.

According to reports, the impact of the accident caused a fire outbreak, leading to the tragic loss of lives.

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Florence Okpe, the Spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), confirmed the incident in a statement, though the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.

She said the gender of the victims could not be ascertained as they were “burnt beyond recognition.”

Okpe blamed the the crash on a fire outbreak in the vehicle, adding that the bus, which was conveying 21 passengers, also had a filled gas cylinder in it, leading to an explosion.

“A total of 21 people were involved in the crash. The genders of the victims couldn’t be ascertained at the scene because they were burnt beyond recognition.

“A total of 16 people were killed in the crash, three sustained various degrees of injuries, and two others remained unhurt.

“The suspected cause of the crash was a fire outbreak in the vehicle, which also had a filled gas cylinder in it, leading to the explosion,” she said.

Okpe said the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta, while the corpses are still at the scene waiting for evacuation.

The Sector Commander, Akinwumi Fasakin, while sympathising with the families of the deceased, warned that highly flammable items should be transported with care and by designated vehicles driven by trained drivers only.