No fewer than 23 persons including five students of the Kogi State Polytechnic and three children on their way to school have been killed in a road crash involving a petrol tanker in Felele along the Lokoja- Abuja Highway .
The tanker , loaded with Premium Motor Spirit and belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was said to have had brakes failure around 8 am . The tanker fell on five cars, two motorcycles , and three tricycles popularly known as Keke , killing all occupants .
Among those killed and burnt beyond recognition were five students of the state - owned polytechnic, three nursery school pupils , and passersby .
Also killed was a businessman identified simply as Samson , his wife , and three children .
Samson reportedly sells sewing machines in Lokoja and went to drop his children off at school as he usually does .
An eyewitness said that the brakes of the tanker failed during an attempt to manoeuvre and in the process , fell on its side, trapping five vehicles trying to overtake it .
“I was about to cross the road when I noticed the tanker driver signalling to motorists to steer clear , but before you could say , Jack Robinson, the tanker was on its side , falling on all vehicles beside it . ”
“Immediately , the tanker fell , the fire started and incinerated all vehicles along its way , ” he said .
Our correspondent counted five cars, two tricycles, and three motorcycles burnt.
Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps , who arrived around 10 am came with an ambulance from Rescue /Rehabilitation team to evacuate the corpses while residents made frantic efforts to identify them .
The sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corp , Idris Fika Ali, said 23 persons were killed in the explosion while one child escaped with injuries.
Meanwhile , the Kogi State Governor , Yahaya Bello has expressed shock over the fatal tanker explosion .
A statement issued by the chief press secretary to the Governor , Onogwu Mohammed, said, ”Governor Bello is very sad to learn of the tragic loss of lives , many vehicles , property and other valuables in the petrol tanker fire while expressing his deepest condolences to the families of those affected by the ugly occurrence. ”
The Governor also urged the students of the Kogi State Polytechnic to remain calm and peaceful , stating that he shared in their grief.
This life kn balance oooo
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