Seven women were burnt to death, while seven others sustained varying degrees of injury on Wednesday when a bus exploded around Odogbolu junction on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
It was gathered that a Mazda bus with marked AGL886YD, carrying 15 passengers suddenly burst into flames due to engine oil overflow along the highway.
The spokesman of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps in Ogun State, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident.
Akinbiyi said the incident occured on Wednesday at 2:50pm. According to him, the corps learnt from an eyewitness that the lone fatal crash was coming from Kosofe area of Lagos inbound Epe for a church revival when its engine suddenly caught fire.
He said, “The number of passengers in the commercial bus was 15, out of which seven females were burnt to death, while the remaining seven were seriously burnt and taken to Ijebu-Ode General Hospital for treatment.
“However, the driver of the bus escaped. The accidented Mazda bus has been taken to Odogbolu Motor Traffic Division.”
Akinbiyi while commiserating with the families of the deceased, urged motorists to maintain and service their vehicles regularly.