Tragedy struck on Thursday in Kogi when a tanker explosion killed about 11 people, leaving about 7 injured. The 11 people were burnt beyond recognition.
The tragic incidence happened after an articulated vehicle failed brakes and rammed into a gas-laden tanker abandoned along Itobe-Anyigba road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state, Mr Stephen Dawulung, confirmed the incident.
According to the sector commander, 11 corpses recovered were burnt beyond recognition, adding that seven other victims who were injured, were taken to a nearby hospital at Ochadamu and Ajaokuta.
Dawulung disclosed that 12 cars, one tanker and another truck as well as six motorcycles were burnt during the accident.
Source said the accident happened around 3 p.m. on Thursday as a result of disagreement between petrol tanker drivers and the military men at a roadblock set up by the military personnel at Ochadamu on the Lokoja-Anyigba/Itobe Highway in the Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi.
An eye witness account stated that trouble started when a soldier allegedly seized the cellphone of a truck driver whom he spotted filming him during an argument with a Siena bus driver at the military checkpoint, who it was gathered refused to stop at the checkpoint when he was flagged down by the military personnel.
The matter was said to degenerated to serious crisis which made the driver of the gas-laden tanker drove his tanker to crossed the road, abandoning it there and ran to an unknown destination, but few moment later, a truck carrying coal said to have failed brakes rammed into the tanker, which caused fire explosion.
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with additional information from Sahara reporter and daily trust
