Three persons have died in a fatal road crash at Okunchi village along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State after a diesel-laden tanker collided with a trailer.

Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred on Thursday at about 8.30pm when an articulated vehicle lost control and rammed into another approaching from the opposite direction.

Residents said the impact of the collision triggered a fire that engulfed both vehicles and spread to nearby buildings, destroying houses and other structures.

A resident of the area, Momo Jimoh Ahmed, said, “Three occupants of the tanker were burnt beyond recognition. The fire also destroyed a residential building and a mosque in the area.”

He added that a couple on a motorcycle, who rode into the scene shortly after the crash, lost control and were caught in the diesel spillage.

“The husband died on the spot, while his wife sustained serious injuries and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Okengwe,” he said.

Confirming the incident on Sunday, the Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Tenimu Yusuf Etuku, said three persons died while two others were seriously injured.

He said the crash involved a diesel tanker with registration number T-20638LA and a Mangal company trailer without a visible registration number at Old Zaango in Okunchi, along the Okene Lokoja road.

Etuku attributed the crash to brake failure, adding that the injured victims and the bodies of the deceased were taken to the General Hospital in Okengwe for treatment and autopsy.

He said the wreckage had been cleared and traffic restored on the highway. (Weekend Trust)