An undetermined number of travellers have died after a petrol tanker exploded in Ankpa, Kogi State, on Wednesday.
Stephen Dawulung, Kogi FRSC corps commander, said the accident occurred when a fuel tanker crushed four vehicles, one of them a passenger bus.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted witnesses as saying that the tanker’s brake failed, resulting in the accident.
“Our personnel were able to rescue two injured persons and rushed them to General Hospital, Ankpa, and also recovered eight charred bodies of the victims from the burnt vehicles and motorcycles involved in the accident.
“As it is now, we are not sure of the actual number of people in the vehicles and the motorcycles involved in the accident.
“Aside the tanker, there is a Sharon bus, three cars and three motorcycles, all of which we cannot tell how many people were occupying them before the unfortunate incident.
“Investigations are on to ascertain the number of persons that were in the Sharon bus before the incident.
“If it had a full load of passengers, that will be at least 10 persons in it, and a person in each of the vehicles and motorcycles involved, then we could be talking of 14 persons in all.
“From our findings, the bus was traveling to Makurdi.
“The tanker burst into flames, burning all the vehicles and motorcycles involved beyond recognition. Even number plates are burnt beyond recognition.”
Dawulung asked the public to report to the FRSC or the nearest police station if their loved ones travelled on Wednesday and could not be reached.”
The House of Representatives has urged the National Emergence Management Agency (NEMA) to provide support for victims of the tanker explosion.
The resolution followed a unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Ibrahim Halims (APC-Kogi) at plenary yesterday.
Halims prayed the house to call on the Federal Government through the relevant agencies to assist families of those who lost their lives and those who lost their property in the carnage.
Also, four persons died yesterday in a road crash in the Tashan Maialewa area of Ganjuwa council of Bauchi State.
Mr Yusuf Abdullahi, FRSC Sector Commander, told NAN that seven other persons sustained serious injuries in the crash, adding that the accident involved one private car and a commercial vehicle.
