LAGOS, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- At least three persons were killed while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a petrol tanker explosion on Tuesday morning in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state in the southwest part of the country, the road safety agency said.

Ahmed Umar, head of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, who confirmed the incident to Xinhua in Abeokuta, said three persons are so far confirmed dead while several others were injured, adding that both the deceased and injured were taken to a local hospital.

"The cause of the accident is still under investigation, we have to conduct a thorough investigation, but it was an accident involving a tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) which fell and caught fire which affected other vehicles," Umar said.

"Our men are still there with fire service to contain the fire and further spread of the fire," he said.

Also speaking on the incident, the State Commissioner for Special Duties Femi Ogunbanwo who was at the scene of the incident, said the state government would await the report from necessary agencies before an appropriate response.

Ogunbanwo added that the injured were going to be treated in the hospital at the state expense.

Eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the tanker experienced a brake failure while descending from a bridge, lost control and fell, thereby going up in flames which affect other vehicles nearby.

Road accidents are frequent in Nigeria mainly due to poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and reckless driving. Enditem

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