Five Burnt Beyond Recognition, 10 Injured in Ghastly Expressway Crash

ABEOKUTA – A horrific lone automobile crash along the Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway on Thursday morning has claimed the lives of five persons, leaving them burnt beyond recognition, while 10 other passengers sustained severe injuries.

​The fatal incident, which threw commuters into panic, occurred at the ever-busy Iyana Egbado axis of the expressway at approximately 11:12 am.

​Overloading and Speeding Trigger Fatal Blaze

​According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun State Sector Command, the disaster involved a white Mazda E2000 commercial bus bearing registration number KRD 809 XC.

​The vehicle was heavily overloaded, crammed with 20 passengers—comprising six adult males, 11 adult females, one male child, and two female children—at the time of the crash.

​Confirming the tragedy, the spokesperson for the FRSC in Ogun State, Route Commander Afolabi Odunsi-Oyewole, revealed that a combination of excessive speeding and severe overloading caused the driver to lose control. Photographic evidence released by the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) highlighted the horrific nature of the impact, showing the commercial vehicle completely engulfed in flames before rescue operations could fully commence.

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​“A total of 20 persons were involved in the crash. Out of these, five persons were killed, comprising one adult male, two adult females, one male child, and one female child. Ten persons sustained varying degrees of injuries, while five persons managed to escape the inferno unhurt,” Odunsi-Oyewole stated.

​The FRSC spokesperson added that while the weather was cloudy at the time of the incident, the road condition was optimal, pointing directly to human error as the cause of the disaster.

​Emergency Responders Scramble to Scene

​First responders from the FRSC Itori Unit Command, alongside local community members, battled the scene to rescue survivors from the wreckage.

​The 10 injured victims were swiftly evacuated to the State General Hospital in Ifo and the Oreofe Specialist Hospital in Itori for emergency medical treatment. Meanwhile, the remains of the five deceased victims, who were caught in the bus’s sudden ignition, were deposited at the General Hospital morgue in Ifo.

​Authorities Warn Against Festive Season Recklessness

​Reacting to the incident, the Ogun State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims over the preventable loss of lives.

​With a recent uptick in fatal crashes along the corridor—including a tragic incident at the nearby Eruku Bridge earlier this month—Ogunjobi issued a stern warning to commercial motorists against severe traffic infractions. He implored drivers to strictly adhere to traffic regulations, particularly as passenger volumes rise during the festive period.

​”Road safety is a shared responsibility,” Ogunjobi stressed, urging transport unions and passengers alike to speak out against drivers who compromise public safety through excessive speed and vehicular overloading.