(Gas truck explodes. Photo by BBC)
No fewer than six people have l0st their lives after a gas-laden truck exploded at an Army checkpoint along the Abuja-Lokoja Federal Highway in Kogi State.
The incident was disclosed in a post shared online, on Tuesday night by security analyst Zagazola Makama, who said the expl0sion occurred within the jurisdiction of the Chikara Division, prompting a swift response from police officers, personnel of the Motor Traffic Division (MTD), and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
According to the post, the gas truck, which was transporting gas cylinders, reportedly expl0ded while approaching the Army checkpoint, sparking a massive fire that spread to nearby vehicles.
“The driver of the gas truck and his motor boy were burnt to d£ath, while the fire also engulfed three other trucks, killing their drivers and motor boys. In total, six people died in the incident,” Makama wrote.
The affected trucks, bearing registration numbers from Jigawa State, Lagos State, and the Federal Capital Territory, were completely destroyed in the inferno.
According to the post, the remains of the victims were evacuated to the General Hospital in Abaji, while the burnt vehicles were subsequently removed from the highway to restore the free flow of traffic.