By CHRIS OCHAYI, VINCENT UJUMADU, OKEY NDIRIBE & GABRIEL
ENOGHOLASE
No fewer than 100 people were killed in two separate road
accidents which occurred in Okija, along Owerri-Onisha Highway in Anambra
State and Ofosu, the boundary town between Edo and Ondo States yesterday.
About 80 persons were reportedly burnt to death in the accident
involving a haulage truck, a petrol tanker and the Young Shall Grow
double-decker bus at Ugbogui Village, near Ofosu at about 1.30pm just as
20 other passengers who were travelling in two commercial buses owned by the
Rivers State Transport Company, RTC, reportedly died at Okija, when another
haulage truck rammed onto them in the early hours of the day.
Sources said that the accident occurred as the Young Shall Grow
bus and the haulage truck were struggling over which vehicle had the right of
way and the petrol tanker which was fully loaded with petrol rammed into the
two vehicles and burst into a huge ball of flame. The victims were burnt beyond
recognition even as the accident led to traffic gridlock that lasted for over
three hours.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who spoke
on condition of anonymity confirmed the incident at press time saying that only
three of the passengers were rescued from the fully loaded luxury bus pointing
out that the mangled bodies of the victims littered the scene.
According to the eye witness, the victims of the Ore- Benin
accident included drivers of the vehicles and their conductors (motor-boys) and
53 passengers in the Luxury bus.
Another source at the scene however said that the multiple
accident occurred when the haulage vehicle which had a flat tyre rammed into
the tanker which also swerved and rammed onto the double-decker Luxury bus,
causing the petrol tanker to explode and burst into flame that consumed all
those around the area.
FRSC confirmed 36 dead in Ore-Benin road crash
Also preliminary reports from the FRSC stated that 36 persons dead
in the Ore-Benin road crash and that the accident occurred when a tyre from the
Dangote truck suddenly pulled out and rammed into the tanker which caught
fire immediately.
The Luxury bus which was on speed, lost control and ran into the
blazing fire, consuming its occupants.
However, an FRSC team was on hand to rescue 3 passengers while 30
others died from the Luxury bus.
The Tanker driver with his conductor, in addition to the Truck
driver and his conductor were also confirmed dead. Two children were also
consumed by the fire which spread to a nearby mechanic workshop, burning 8
additional vehicles resulting to a heavy traffic gridlock.
Meanwhile, a detachment of the FRSC, Police and the Construction
Company were at the scene for intensive traffic control and diversion of route
to ensure seamless traffic flow along the corridor.
The Corps advises road users on Benin road to take Oluku junction
– Ifon-Owo-Akure road to Lagos while vehicles from Lagos are advised to take
Akure – Owo road .
The FRSC also contacted the Young Shall Grow transport company and
has a scanned copy of its manifest which confirms that 30 persons boarded the
bus earlier in the day from the Jibowu terminus to Enugu.
Disturbed by the recent spate of road crash fatalities linked to
speeding and reckless driving, the Federal Road Safety Corps has decided to
evoke its statutory powers to institute legal actions against drivers and
transport operators whose vehicles are responsible for such crashes.
Part of this arrangement includes the Corps’ resolve to assist
victims and relations of road crash victims to seek compensation from such
fleet operators.
At Okija in Anambra State, an eye witness told Saturday Vanguard
that a trailer had rammed onto the oncoming vehicles, including two buses
belonging to the RTC, killing most of the occupants of the two buses instantly.
The accident caused an excruciating traffic jam on both lanes. For
several hours, commuters were at stand still as movement was virtually impossible.
However, there was a little respite on the expressway after about
two hours as vehicles coming from the Onitsha end had to divert at Okija
junction, while those coming from the Owerri end diverted at Ezego junction at
Ihiala.
Mangled bodies of the victims were scattered along the road, while
those wounded were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the police, as
well as other volunteers were at the scene of the accident clearing the blocked
road.
It was not clear what caused the accident, but an eye witness said
that the trailer driver might have lost control on the sloppy road and
subsequently rammed onto other vehiles.a
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