By Dayo Johnson

Akure—NO fewer than 15 persons were roasted alive in an auto crash involving three vehicles, yesterday, along Akure-Owo Expressway in Ondo State, as other motorists watched helplessly.

Four persons, who reportedly survived, were admitted at the intensive care unit of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Owo.

Eyewitness account said the accident occurred at about 2p.m., between Amurin and Uso in Owo Local Government area of the state. The vehicles involved are a bus marked FG 357BOT, a Toyota Siena marked LSR 163, and another Toyota Previa bus, whose number plates had fallen off.

The scene of the accident.

Two of the vehicles reportedly had a head-on collision after one of the drivers overtook the other at a sharp bend.

The third car, which was speeding, was said to have rammed into the two vehicles and an explosion reportedly occurred in which the victims were roasted alive.

An unconfirmed report said that the casualties may have been caused by the explosion of some jerry cans containing petrol that were inside the commercial bus.

Vanguard gathered that officials of the state’s fire service and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, who raced to the scene, rescued four persons.