The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Saturday said the death toll in the Friday petrol tanker accident in Felele area of Lokoja, Kogi State has risen to 13.
The state FRSC Sector Commander, Olusegun Martins, told newsmen in Lokoja that three other victims died on Friday night.
Martins said a staff of the Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja was one of them.
He said the relations of dead victims have started identifying them.
However, six of them were burnt beyond recognition.
According to Martins, eight other injured victims of the accident are still receiving treatment at the intensive care units of the Federal Medical Centre and the State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja.
He said investigation into the cause of the accident was underway.
Ten people died in the spot in the accident, which occurred at about 1:45pm on Friday, at Felele area of Lokoja.
FRSC’s figures differ from that given by Chief Press Secretary to the Kogi State Governor, Petra Onyegbule, who said in a Facebook post on Friday that the inferno “burnt 20 people beyond recognition”.
The accident occurred as a result of a head-on collision involving a bus and tanker laden with 33,000 litres of petrol.
Eyewitnesses said the collision ignited a fire, which engulfed the two vehicles and a commercial tricycle.
Most of the victims were occupants of the 18-seater bus believed to be owned by Delta Line.
The bus was coming from the Abuja end of the road, while the tanker was coming from the Okene end.
While visiting the scene of the accident, Governor Bello reiterated his call on the Federal Government to take quick actions on the Mokwa-Jebba road as the pressure on the Abuja-Lokoja road was enormous and endangers lives.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed and comfort for their families and friends.
