Authorities say that at least 26 people have died after two buses collided and caught fire on a busy highway in western Nigeria on Saturday morning.
Those who died were said to have burned to death, while 11 others, including three children, sustained serious injuries and burns when their vehicle caught fire in the crash.
Two 18-seater commercial buses collided head-on as they were both overtaking in opposite-directions on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The impact of the collision reportedly led to a deafening explosion which trapped the passengers, local media reports.
Initially, the fire was said to have stopped civilians who wanted to rescue them.
Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) reportedly carried out a combined rescue operation. The bodies were said to have been deposited at Adeoyo Hospital, Yemetu, Ibadan while the injured victims were taken to the University College Hospital and Ibadan Central Hospital for treatment.
Road accidents are common in Nigeria, and indeed Africa. More than 5,000 Nigerians died in crashes last year, according to national statistics.
Many accidents are caused by reckless driving, while others are attributed to poorly maintained roads and vehicles.
In South Africa, the ministry confirmed that road accidents alone cost the state “billions“.
