Fire Kills 20 in Oyo Bus Collision

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

 At least 20 passengers were burnt to death when a bus collided with another vehicle and caught fire in Oyo state, police and an official said yesterday.

The accident occurred at Lanlate in Ibarapa area of the state Friday night.

The Chairman, Ibarapa Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Obalowo confirmed the accident yesterday. 

Obalowo described “as a fatal accident. We counted over 20 human bodies burnt completely.”

“They had a head-on collision and the two vehicles… which were both conveying passengers caught fire and got burnt beyond repair,” he said.

He said two people “with severe burns” survived the crash and they had been taken to the hospital.

A senior police officer in the state confirmed the crash, saying that “20 people lost their lives in the accident,” without giving details.

Obalowo blamed the accident on speeding and reckless driving.

In July 30 people were burnt to death when three vehicles collided on a highway in Kaduna state.

In 2021, Nigeria recorded 10,637 road accidents, which claimed 5,101 lives and injured more than 30,000 people, according to figures by the road safety commission.