The incident happened on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, with four other people including an official of the Ogun State Fire Service, injured from the resulting fire.
According to Punch, a fuel tanker belonging to Total Nigeria Plcfell on the expressway around 3 PM on Monday, April 2, 2016, while trying to avoid a herd of cows.
The policemen attached to the Redemption Camp Division swung into action by contacting Total to send another tanker in order to transfer the fuel from the fallen one.
The new tanker arrived at 11 PM on the day and successfully transferred the fuel from the old tanker through the help of officials of the Ogun State Fire Service.
After the departure of the new tanker from the accident scene, residents of the area were said to have trooped in to take some of the fuel that had been spilled in the gutter.
A fire was ignited around 1 PM on Tuesday when a Sports Utility Vehicle, with a busted tyre was driving pass.
The spark from the vehicles rim as it touched the ground led to a massive fire that resulted into casualties.
Punch reports that the fire affected the Sports Utility Vehicle, an 18-seater bus, two Hilux vans, a Dangote truck and a fire service truck.
This resulting fire trapped some of the passengers of the vehicles, burning them alive.
A witness at the accident scene named Sunmibare, narrated her account of the accident.
She said, “One of the fire service men was injured. The fire razed their truck and a Dangote truck beside it. There was no hope of putting out the fire since the fire service men had become helpless. The fire raged till about 7am.”
According to reports, the Fire Service officials were trying to neutralise the power of the petrol when the fire began.
Muyiwa Adejobi, a Police Public Relations Officer said, “The road was soaked with fuel after the tanker fell. The police and the fire service men were trying to neutralise the power of the petrol when fire broke out."
"The fire service truck, which was on duty, was the first to be burnt."
“No fewer than 13 people were burnt beyond recognition. About five vehicles were also burnt. We urge those whose relatives are missing to come forward for possible identification because for now we cannot recognise anybody.”
The accident left thirteen burnt bodies, while the injured persons were taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital in Ogun State.