The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ondo State Command, reported on Wednesday that 16 people were burned to death and five others were injured in a tragic road accident on Tuesday night.
FRSC Ondo State Sector Commander, Samuel Ibitoye, confirmed the incident to journalists in Akure. The crash occurred at Ajue village, located between Ondo and Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area.
Ibitoye explained that the collision involved two vehicles: a commercial Toyota Hiace bus and a Man Diesel truck. The accident took place around 8 p.m. on Tuesday.
The FRSC commander noted that the bus, which was fully loaded, was travelling from Lagos to the northern part of the country. It took the FRSC approximately four hours to clear the accident site.
The FRSC attributed the accident to excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking, with a possibility that one of the vehicles was carrying fuel, which may have contributed to the severity of the fire.
“Three male adults sustained serious injuries, two others had minor injuries, and 16 people were burned beyond recognition,” Ibitoye said.
He added that while the full investigation into the accident’s cause is ongoing, preliminary findings suggest that high speed, improper overtaking, and potentially carrying fuel inside one of the vehicles played roles in the crash.
The injured have been taken to Ore General Hospital for medical treatment, and the bodies of the deceased have been handed over to the Hausa Community in the area for burial.
Ibitoye urged motorists to avoid speeding, adhere to traffic regulations, and refrain from carrying flammable substances in their vehicles to prevent such devastating accidents in the future.
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