No
fewer than 11 people lost their lives, while five others are in a
critical condition after a fully-loaded commercial bus collided with a
Dangote trailer at the Akintelu end of the Benin-Sagamu Expressway.
Scene of the accident (Photo: Punch)
A commercial bus owned by Efex Motors which was said to be
conveying mostly guests of a wedding that held in Benin, the Edo State
capital, and was heading for Lagos on Sunday, reportedly collided with a
Dangote trailer at the Akintelu end of the Benin-Sagamu Expressway.
According to a shocking report by Punch, no fewer than 11 people
lost their lives, while five others are in a critical condition after
the fully-loaded commercial bus was involved in the tragic car crash,
with the overloaded Dangote Cement trailer heading towards Ore, as among
the deceased were three families, each with three members.
It was gathered that the driver of the Dangote vehicle, identified
as Idrisu Oseni, was reported to have immediately fled the scene, along
with his motor boy.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ondo State command, and
policemen from the Igbotakun division, were said to have removed the
corpses from the road and deposited them in a morgue. They also removed
the wreckage to clear the traffic that the accident generated.
Speaking to a correspondent, Osas Osadebamwen, who is the Ondo
State FRSC Sector Commander, said the accident was caused by the Dangote
trailer driver, who “dangerously overtook the Efex bus.”
He said, “The accident happened around 3.30pm on Sunday and
involved a Dangote trailer conveying bags of cement and a fully-loaded
Efex Motors Toyota Hiace bus. We gathered that most of the occupants of
the bus were returning from a wedding ceremony which held at the
weekend.
“We discovered that the Dangote trailer driver travelled at top
speed. He left his lane and went to another lane. Instead of waiting
for the vehicle that was diverting, he was impatient.
“Because he was speeding, he couldn’t control the trailer.
While struggling for control, the front part of the trailer detached and
slid on the median. The trailer tyres burst into flames at that point.
The backside of the trailer went to the other side of the road, where
the Efex bus was coming from.
“In the end, 11 people died in the accident, including eight
adults and three children. Their remains have been deposited in a
morgue, while the injured were taken to the Ore General Hospital for
treatment.”
Also speaking, a source, who did not want to be identified, said a celebrity was among the deceased.
“I learnt that a very popular man was among those that died. Three
families, with two to three members each, also lost their lives,” he said.
An official of the FRSC, who asked not to be named, said
immediately the accident happened, the Dangote trailer driver fled the
scene.
He said, “This is the second time in two days that the Dangote
truck drivers would cause an accident on this road. And usually, when
the accidents happen, the drivers disappear into the bush.”
The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph,
confirmed the incident, adding that 11 people died on the spot, while
five others were in a critical condition, adding that the truck driver
drove against the traffic, which led to the accident.
He said, “The accident involved a Dangote Cement Company
trailer laden with about 900 bags of cement, and a commercial bus
belonging to Efex Motors.
“Preliminary investigations showed that the Dangote driver
drove against the traffic. He rammed into the bus and pushed it off the
road, thereby killing 11 people, including the bus driver, Ramoni Ajadi.
We have commenced investigation into the incident.”
No comments:
Post a Comment