Posted by From BUCHY ENYINNAYA, Asaba on
Over 40 people majority of them travelling for the Christmas festivities have been burnt to death in two separate road accidents that occurred at Agbor, Delta State, along the Benin/Asaba expressway in less than 13 hours.
Over 40 people majority of them travelling for the Christmas festivities have been burnt to death in two separate road accidents that occurred at Agbor, Delta State, along the Benin/Asaba expressway in less than 13 hours.
Daily Sun gathered that the accident, which occurred on Tuesday involved vehicles that were believed to have left Lagos on Monday night for the East only to be involved in the accident in the morning of Tuesday at the U-turn between Faith in God and Felco Filling Stations, about 500 metres away from the accident of Monday, December 22, in which no fewer than 18 persons were burnt alive.
An eyewitness account told Daily Sun that the accident occurred when two fuel tankers carrying diesel and petrol each, collided with one Faka bus, two salon cars, one Mercedes 190 car, one Luxury bus and four motorcycles.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Zonal Commanding Officer in-charge of Edo, Delta and Anambra States, Mr. Nda Zakari, the accident was caused by impatience on the part of the second petrol tanker driver.
In his words, this is because there was an abandoned luxury bus which has some problems, two salon cars ran into it, the first fuel tanker came and stopped then the second fuel tanker ran into it (the first fuel tanker) leading to a heavy explosion which burnt the vehicles involved, including the four motorcycles that were close to the vehicles.
While saying that only six passengers survived from the luxury bus, the FRSC zonal commander disclosed ,'we cannot ascertain the actual number of people that are dead because some of the passengers were burnt to ashes as only four bodies burnt beyond recognition were recovered and taken to the Agbor Central Hospital's mortuary.
The fatal accident led to the closure of the dual carriage way for more than nine hours as motorists have to divert to the congested Old Lagos/Asaba Road as the only available alterative, thereby spending more time than they would have spent.
In the accident, which occurred, between Mariere Street and Baleke Street axis of the Agbor stretch of the ever-busy dual carriageway on Monday, not less than 12 passengers in a 18-seater bus were burnt to death.
Daily Sun gathered that the 18-seater bus, which was carrying Abuja, bound passengers, was coming from Onitsha when the unfortunate incident occurred.
It was further learnt that the driver of the 18-seater bus was trying to avoid a water tanker that was making a U-turn immediately after Mariere Street junction along the expressway when the vehicle suddenly skidded off the road.
'As it ran into the deep wide gutter by the side of the road, the fuel tank of the bus caught fire', an eye witness said, adding that in the process, 12 of the 18 passengers on board were burnt beyond recognition leaving only six survivors.
Speaking at the scene of the accident, the Commander of the Agbor Unit of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Anthony Ogbodo attributed the accident to excessive speeding and overloading.
Ogbodo disclosed that four of the six survivors did not sustain any injuries but that the two passengers that were injured in the accident have been rushed to the Central Hospital Agbor for medical attention.