One person has reportedly lost his life, and 20 others sustained varying degrees of injury when a passenger bus suffered a tyre burst in motion, somersaulted and caught fire.
Tribune gathered that the incident happened on Sunday along the Oko-Olowo Expressway, Iye-Maja Junction, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at about 6:35pm.
According to the Kwara State Fire Service, the commercial bus, with registration number DTH840SA, which was conveying 21 passengers, reportedly suffered a punctured tyre while in motion, causing the vehicle to lose control and somersault before subsequently catching fire.
The Public Relations Officer of the agency, Hassan Adekunle, said that firefighters immediately commenced emergency operations when they arrived at the scene of the incident, adding that, ‘The passengers were evacuated from the vehicle, with those who sustained injuries taken to the hospital for medical attention.
‘Sadly, one person was confirmed deceased in the incident.
‘The Kwara State Fire Service expresses its sympathy to the family of the deceased and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.
‘The Chief Fire Officer, CFS Alabi Muhammed, commiserated with the family of the deceased and urged motorists, particularly commercial vehicle operators, to always ensure that their vehicles are properly maintained and roadworthy before embarking on journeys.
‘He emphasised the importance of regular inspection of tyres, braking systems, electrical components and other critical parts of vehicles, noting that early detection of faults can help prevent serious road emergencies.
‘He also urged motorists to exercise caution on the highways and immediately report emergencies to the appropriate response agencies.’