The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, on Monday, said eight persons perished in the petrol tanker explosion that occurred in the commercial town of Ore, in Odigbo Local Government Area of the state.
A petrol tanker laden with 33,000 litres of fuel crashed while the driver was manoeuvring his way on the Benin-Ore-Lagos Expressway on Sunday.
Briefing journalists on the incident, the State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Ezekiel SonAllah, revealed that the casualties were fuel scoopers who had swooped on the fuel tanker immediately it crashed into a ditch by the roadside.
“The accident was caused by loss of concentration and speed limit violation on the part of the driver involved. Eight people died.
“The driver and motor boy of the vehicle escaped unhurt, but the eight villagers scooping fuel got burnt in the act. The dead bodies were taken to General Hospital Ore Morge, our men were on the ground,” he stated.
However, the figure of the casualties given by Mr SonAllah contradicted the earlier accounts of those who witnessed the tanker explosion.
Some of the witnesses had explained that over 20 persons including three children, and a pregnant woman were among the casualties of the explosion.
