Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
No fewer than eight people reportedly lost their lives in three separate auto crashes involving six petrol tankers and a car at Olooru-Kanbi in Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State between Tuesday evening and early hours of Wednesday.
Witnesses revealed that the accident occurred when one of the tankers, heading to the NNPC depot at Oke-Oyi in the Ilorin East Local Government Area, had a head-on collision with another coming from the depot.
It was also gathered that another tanker, loaded with diesel had a head-on coalition with one coming from Jebba, also in Moro Local Government Area of the state.
There was also a private car, badly impacted in the accident by the tankers, sources said.
A combined team of officers and men of the Fire Service, Police and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were promptly drafted to the scene of the accident for the rescue operation.
Speaking on the development, the Sector Commander of the FRSC in Kwara State, Mr. Gbenga Owoade, confirmed that eight persons died in the multiple accidents.
“It happened at different times along same route. First one occurred yesterday evening and the other two accidents happened early hours of today (Wednesday). The three didn’t happen at same time. It happened at separate times.
“In the first crash, two people died, second one, four persons died, while two people died in the third one. Causes of the crashes are speed violation and loss of control,” he said.
Owoade, who said that two other victims of the accidents are on danger list, added that they are already receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UlTH).
He said the remains of the victims have been deposited at the morgue of the hospital.