A petrol-laden truck on Thursday afternoon caught fire at the Bauchi junction, Farin Gada axis Jos North local government area of Plateau State killing about 10 people while many others sustained various degrees of injuries.
Among the injured were some personnel of the Federal Road Road Safety Corps FRSC, motorists, pedestrians, and business people who were in the busy vicinity at the time of the incident. Some vehicles and tricycles were also burnt as a result of the incident.
However, some security personnel escaped being lynched by irate youths who were angered by their alleged late arrival. Two personnel of the FRSC were injured while one of their vehicles got burnt.
The State Fire Service was yet to respond to calls to the known phone number but the State Police Command through its spokesman, Alfred Alabo said, "The Command received information from a good Samaritan that a tanker conveying Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) lost control, crashed and burst in flames along Bauchi Road Junction in Jos.
"On receipt of the ugly incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bartholomew Onyeka, directed the Angwan Rogo Divisional Police Officer and his teadetectivesctive to move to the scene of the accident immediately. Upon their arrival it was discovered that 10 yet-to-be-identified persons were burnt beyond recognition. Their lifeless bodies were later deposited at Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, while three (3) Motor vehicles and two (2) tricycles affected by the fire were recovered from the scene.
"Efforts are on to remove obstacles placed on the road to enable the free flow of traffic and to identify the true identity of the burnt bodies. The CP extends his condolence to the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident and also advises members of the public not to panic as the situation is under control."
The spokesman of the FRSC, Peter Longsan said, "When the incident happened, our people went there and started rescuing the victims, they took the first batch of the victims to the hospital, on coming back for continued rescue, they were attacked, one of our vehicles vandalized and burnt down. Our ambulance was destroyed. The carcass of our patrol vehicle is there, our men were chased away and two of them were injured."
The Chairman of Jos North Local Government, Shehu Usman sympathized with the victims of the incident.
He said, "A tanker loaded with premium motor spirit caught fire and in the process, some people lost their lives, some were injured and vehicles were destroyed. The situation is sad and is being investigated. We don't have the full details because the stock is still being taken."
He offered his condolences to the survivors and victims' families and assured the incident would be investigated to avoid a reoccurrence.
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