No fewer than 17 persons were reported dead when a petrol tanker exploded along the Lagos-Ibadan highway in Ogun State.

The Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed that the accident happened around 5am on Friday, before Isara Bridge.

The spokesperson for the FRSC in Ogun, Florence Okpe, said 14 of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, adding that the FRSC was able to identify one man, one woman and a girl.

“The total number of people involved is not ascertained, but a total 17 bodies ( killed) have been identified.

“1 male, 1 female, and 1 female child only have been identified, while others were burnt beyond recognition and no injury sustained,” Okpe said.

She added that the tanker had a head-on collission with a Mazda bus marked, ZT728 KLD.

“The suspected causes of the fatal crash were route violation and dangerous driving, which resulted in a head-on collision.

Meanwhile, the Ogun FRSC Sector Commander, Ahmed Umar, described the crash as an avoidable one with caution and obedience to traffic rules and regulations.

Umar commiserated with the families of the victims, enjoining them to contact the FRSC office in Ogere for more information about the crash.

NAN