An ominous cloud of smoke permeated the capital city Lokoja of Kogi state in Central Nigeria on Wednesday after a driver coming from Okene and heading towards the northern part of the country lost control of a truck carrying petrol due to a brake failure that saw the vehicle swerve off the road, overturn and catch fire.
The accident took place on the busy Lokoja-Abuja highway, and many vehicles, including a bus conveying students of the state polytechnic, were burnt in the inferno.
Local media outlets report that around 20 people including students and passers-by, might have lost their lives in the fire and Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello offered his condolences to the victims and their families in a public statement.
Nigeria’s ill-maintained roads often see fuel truck accidents.
In July, at least three people were killed in a similar incident where a fuel truck also overturned and split its cargo in the southern Delta state.
