Panic gripped parts of Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday after a diesel tanker reportedly crushed four commercial cars in a multiple-vehicle crash along the Iwo Road-Ojoo Expressway, leaving at least five people feared dead and several others injured.
The accident occurred at Aduloju Bus Stop, opposite Dominion City, where the articulated vehicle reportedly lost control and rammed into four commercial Nissan Micra cars.
Preliminary reports attributed to the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) indicated that the tanker was travelling at high speed when the driver reportedly lost control.
A suspected brake failure was said to have caused the tanker to veer into the cars, crushing the vehicles and trapping some occupants in the wreckage.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with people scrambling to rescue passengers trapped inside the damaged vehicles.
Officials of OYRTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Police were deployed to the scene to coordinate rescue efforts, control traffic and prevent further accidents along the busy expressway.
However, the exact number of casualties remained unclear as reports from the scene gave conflicting figures.
While some accounts put the number of fatalities at five, others suggested that the death toll could be higher. The identities of those feared dead and the precise number of injured persons had yet to be confirmed.
Earlier reports indicated that some injured victims had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, while the bodies of those who died were being conveyed to a morgue.
The incident has renewed concerns over road safety and the dangers posed by heavy-duty vehicles when mechanical faults or loss of control occur on busy roads.
Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and confirm the final casualty figures.
