5 burned to death in petrol tanker crash in Nigeria

Five road passengers were burned to death after a petrol tanker burst into flames following a head-on collision with a moving truck in southwest Nigeria early Wednesday, local authorities said.

Ahmed Umar, a commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the southwestern state of Ogun, told reporters in the state capital Abeokuta that the collision, which occurred near a petrol filling station in the state's Ogere town at 4:46 a.m. local time, resulted in a fire that affected five other trucks.

"The bodies of the dead were recovered from one of the crashed trucks and were burned beyond recognition. They have been deposited at a morgue," Umar said.

According to him, the cause of the crash could be wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving on the part of the petrol tanker driver.

The spill from the tanker affected the other trucks parked at the shoulder of the road, Umar explained.

Traffic was immediately diverted to avoid more crashes and further loss of lives and property on the road, he said, adding that motorists had also been advised to take alternative routes following the incident.

Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )