Not less than 30 people were, on Thursday, burnt beyond recognition while property worth millions of naira were destroyed when a fuel-laden tanker veered off the road, somersaulted and caught fire in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
Eyewitnesses say the truck was heading for Jos from neighbouring Bauchi State when the accident occurred.
One witness said the incident happened around the Farin Gada Junction of Bauchi Road in Jos with seven vehicles burnt in the process including a fully loaded Sharon bus with all the passengers trapped inside.
“It took several hours before people could go near the venue. The incident occurred at about 1:15 p.m., but it took about 4:00p.m., before the fire could subside,” an eyewitness said.
Charred remains of the victims were deposited at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, according to the leader of the Department of State Secretariat of the Islamic Aid Group of the Jamatul Nasri Islam (JNI), Mallam Abdulkareem, who helped in the rescue operations and in conveying the bodies to the mortuary.
“We counted burnt heads which were more than 30. Not all the corpses were taken to Plateau Specialist Hospital. Other corpses have been taken to other hospitals,” he told journalists.
Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, who confirmed the accident in a statement in Jos, said tanker lost control, crashed and burst into flames.
“This afternoon, we received information from a good Samaritan that a tanker conveying PMS lost control, crashed and burst into flames along the Bauchi Road Junction.
“The Commissioner of Police in the state, Bartholomew Onyeka, directed the Angwan Rogo Divisional Police Officer and his team of detectives to immediately move to the scene of the accident.
“Upon arrival, it was discovered that 10 yet to be identified persons were burnt beyond recognition. Their lifeless bodies were later deposited at Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos.
“Three other vehicles and two tricycles were also affected by the fire,” Alabo said.
