No fewer than 25 lives were lost while 15 others were seriously injured in a petrol tanker fire which occurred as a result of an accident at Peke village along the Oko-Olowo area on Ilorin/Bode-Saadu/Jebba Expressway, Kwara State on Tuesday.

The accident involved a petrol tanker with registration number JJN 17 XW, a heavy-duty truck and an 18-seater bus.

An eyewitness account revealed that the petrol tanker which was travelling from Niger State, was driving on the wrong side of the road which resulted in a head-on collision with a heavy-duty truck from Lagos State.

The collision, it was further gathered, ignited a fire that rapidly consumed both vehicles and also affected the 18-seater bus which was also coming from Lagos.

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Stephen Dawulung, confirmed the accident to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday adding that he would provide the details later.

He said that some of the corpses recovered from the scene had been buried by their relatives.

The incident which was also confirmed by the Kwara State Director of Fire Service, Mr John Falade, said firemen responded to a fire at Peke village at about 3.18pm on Tuesday.

“On November 28, 2023, around 15:18 hours, the Kwara State Fire Service responded to a fire at Peke village along Oko-Olowo Bode-Saadu Expressway in Moro Local Government Area, Kwara State.

“The firemen diligently worked to quench the inferno, but unfortunately, 25 lives were lost, and around 15 people were rescued with injuries.”

Falade expressed deep sorrow over the incident that claimed many lives and emphasised the need for road users to prioritise safe driving practices.

He also warned drivers and other road users to adhere to safety measures consistently when driving on the roads.