At least 16 passengers were burnt to death, and three others sustained various degrees of injuries in a road accident that occurred in the Ajue community along the Ondo/Ore road in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The accident involved a commercial Toyota bus and a truck in a head-on collision, which sparked an inferno. Sixteen passengers in the bus were burned to death, while two others managed to escape unhurt.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander, Samuel Ibitoye, confirmed the incident and attributed the cause of the accident to over speeding and wrongful overtaking.
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Ibitoye explained that the accident involved two vehicles, and during overtaking, the truck collided head-on with the commercial bus, causing both vehicles to catch fire, leading to the deaths of the bus passengers.
He noted that the vehicles burst into flames immediately, resulting in the tragic loss of lives.
According to him, the incident occurred around 8 p.m., and it took the FRSC about three hours to complete the rescue operation. The injured were taken to the hospital, while the remains of the deceased were deposited in the morgue.
He added that an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the accident but noted that “preliminary findings indicate over speeding and wrongful overtaking.”
Ibitoye urged motorists to adhere to traffic laws while traveling, emphasizing the importance of defensive driving techniques and cautioning against claiming right of way.
He identified over speeding as a major cause of accidents on Nigerian roads and advised motorists to avoid night travel, speeding, and overloading, noting that the fatality could have been reduced if the journey had not taken place at night.
