No fewer than eight people were burnt beyond recognition on Sunday on the Ologbo Bridge, Benin/Sapele expressway in Delta,  the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said. 

The FRSC spokesman, Bisi Kazeem, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja, stating that the fatal crash that occurred at about 1:00 p.m. on Sunday also had seven people injured.

Mr Kazeem said the dual crash involved 15 different categories of vehicles, stating the affected vehicles as 1 Toyota Hiace Bus, 2 Ford Buses, 1 Volkswagen Passat, 2 J5 Peugeot buses, 1 Daylong Motorcycle, and eight tankers.

He said 15 people, all male adults, were involved in the accident. 

“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 spilled 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.

Mr 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.

He said this was to eradicate all incidences of mishap resulting from lack of safety valves in tankers.

Mr Biu also called on owners and operators of tankers to comply with all safety standards set by the government for the operation of that vehicle category on Nigerian roads.

He directed commanding officers to ensure tankers that did not meet safety standards could not ply the highways.

(NAN)