The police in Ondo State have said that all efforts were being made to identify the five victims including a mother and her two children who died on Wednesday in a tanker explosion in Akure the Ondo State capital.
Spokesman for the command Femi Joseph told Daily Trust on Thursday that it was immediately difficult for them to identify the victims because they were burnt beyond recognition.
The petrol tanker carrying 33,000 liters of petrol was said to have fell at Shagari Village junction on Akure-Owo expressway, killing the five people including a toddler, mother and another of her children.
Eight vehicles caught in the fire were also burnt down, among which were a commercial bus and six private cars, as well as many motorcycles. Two houses and many shops along the road were also affected.
Eye witnesses said the victims were trapped and burnt inside the affected vehicles
An eyewitness said, ” The tanker was on a high speed when a Toyota Corolla car suddenly crossed the road, as the tanker driver was trying to avoid hitting the car, he swerved off his lane and the vehicle fell on the car and caught fire immediately. ”
Some of the eyewitnesses who spoke to Daily Trust also said that it took many hours for the men of Ondo State Fire Service to arrive the scene to put it out.
Some men of the state police command and the men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps also made efforts to avoid more casualties.
Meanwhile, the Ondo state government has called for calm, sympathizing with the people of the state on the sad development.
The state deputy governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi who visited the scene called for calm among protesting youths over the explosion.
He promised the protesters, who were demanding for construction of a fly-over that he would deliver their message to the governor, adding that the government would construct speed breakers on the road to control speed of vehicles plying the road as an immediate measure.
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