Nineteen persons have been confirmed dead in a ghastly road accident that occurred on the Okene-Lokoja Highway in Kogi State on Sunday.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC spokesperson, Jonas Agwu, on Sunday.
He stated that the accident occurred through a collision between a Dangote truck and a Toyota Hiace bus. The truck driver was wrongfully overtaking a vehicle when it rammed on the bus.
The FRSC spokesman attributed the tragedy to route violation and wrongful overtaking. He, therefore, emphasized compliance with traffic regulations, such as the compulsory use of seatbelts.
“The crash investigation report revealed that the crash involved two vehicles: a Dangote truck bearing the following registration details NSH680YJ, and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number KMC455ZE.
“The Toyota Hiace bus loaded from Kano was on its lane on the Highway when the Dangote truck driver who drove from Port Harcourt wrongfully overtook a vehicle and collided head-on with the bus. The impact of the collision resulted in an inferno that burnt the victims to death.
“According to the report, the crash was caused by route violation ‘One Way’ and wrongful overtaking. 22 male people were involved. Unfortunately, 19 people out of the 22 victims died and one injured. The remaining two victims who got rescued by the FRSC operatives without injuries survived the crash. This is because they complied with traffic regulations on compulsory use of seatbelts,” Agwu said.
“The resultant fire engulfed both vehicles, leading to the loss of lives and destruction of property.
“The FRSC emergency rescue teams deployed to rescue the victims could not achieve desired results. As efforts they put into the rescue operations were unduly hindered by the fire inferno that engulfed the two vehicles,” Agwu stated.
According to Corps Marshal Dauda Biu, the incident underscored the urgent need for moral and ethical consciousness among road users.
Biu, therefore, emphasized the importance of enforcing traffic regulations. He stated the Corps is committed to prosecuting drivers whose negligence leads to road crashes.
He called for collaboration of the judiciary, transport unions, and other stakeholders in the efforts to restore order on the roads. The Corp Marshal said this is paramount in achieving swift and effective prosecution and preventing future tragedies.
source: PUNCH
