5 killed as Dangote truck loses brakes, crushes tricycle

Tragedy struck on Friday night in Ogun State when a Dangote Cement truck lost control and crushed five people to death along the Alapoka axis of the Papalanto–Ilaro Road in Yewa South Local Government Area.

The incident, which occurred around 8:30 p.m., was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi.

According to Akinbiyi, the accident happened after the truck “lost its brakes and rammed into a tricycle conveying the five victims.”

He identified the vehicles involved as “an unregistered tricycle and a Dangote truck with the number plate GRZ 767 XA.”

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Akinbiyi added that upon receiving the report, “the Acting TRACE Head, Adedayo Omonayajo, and the Ilaro Divisional Commander, Salako Idowu, led a rescue team to the scene.”

It was gathered that the officials faced resistance from angry residents before the intervention of the Amotekun Corps helped to restore calm.

“The presumed dead were taken to the morgue by Federal Road Safety Corps officials,” Akinbiyi said.

In a separate incident earlier that day, several lives were feared lost after a fuel-laden tanker caught fire along the Abeokuta–Sagamu Expressway.

TRACE spokesperson Akinbiyi confirmed the development, explaining that the blaze started around 1 a.m. on Friday.

In his statement, he said, “The case of an inferno caused by a 30,000-litre fuel-laden tanker which fell on its side and spilled its contents around 0100hrs today.”

The crash, which occurred “along the Abeokuta–Kobape–Siun–Sagamu Interchange stretch of the PMB Expressway, due to excessive speed and loss of control,” also led to the destruction of other vehicles and a PHCN power cable supplying electricity to Mowe and nearby communities.

Although the exact number of casualties was yet to be determined, Akinbiyi said rescue operations involving TRACE, the Ogun State and Nestlé PLC Fire Services, FRSC, and the Police were ongoing to restore normalcy after putting out the fire and conducting decantation.