NO fewer than 14 passengers – 11 adults and three children – were on Thursday night burnt to death in an accident around the Long Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, Spokesperson for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that TRACE had earlier stated that an unspecified number of persons were burnt to death in the auto crash.
Giving an update on the incident, Akinbiyi said the accident involved a silver Toyota RAV 4 with registration number LND 13 GS, a silver Toyota Camry, marked ‘GGE 369 GJ’, and a Mazda bus with an unidentified number.
The TRACE spokesman said the accident occurred at 8:20 pm on Thursday night.
He said that the commercial Mazda bus was allegedly involved in wrongful overtaking before it hit a faulty Toyota RAV 4 that was parked.
Akinbiyi said that 17 passengers were in the bus when the accident happened, and 14 persons were burnt to death beyond recognition.
“The burnt commercial bus was involved in wrongful overtaking before it hit a stationary vehicle (Toyota RAV 4), parked in the middle of the road due to breakdown, and also hit a Camry car.
“In the process, it lost control, somersaulting severally before it burst into flames,” he said.
Akinbiyi said that two victims who sustained injuries were rescued and taken to Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre, and one other to the General Hospital, Gbagada for treatment.
He commiserated with the families of the dead victims, warning drivers to desist from speeding, wrongful overtaking, and attitude that exposed other road users to risk and danger.
