BY AUSTIN OGWUDA
ASABA — NO fewer than 10 persons died in a multiple accident that occurred, yesterday, at Okwe junction, Asaba on Asaba/Benin highway while several others were wounded.
As a result of the accident which occurred at about 7.30am, there was a gridlock on that stretch of the road leading to the Asaba bridge head.The obstruction was, however, cleared through efforts of men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC.
Scene of the accident, yesterday
An eyewitness told our reporter that the accident occurred when a trailer loaded with cement and moving towards the east allegedly lost control and rammed into an oncoming commuter bus plying Asaba/Onitsha route. The bus was mangled in the process.
Two other vehicles, a Nissan car and another truck, were also affected in the crash.
When Vanguard visited the scene of the accident, blood stains and personal effects of the victims littered the ground.
Contacted, the FRSC Public Education Officer, Mr. Julius Bassey, confirmed the incident but said only five persons died while others were rushed to the hospital.
According to him, “it was a fatal multiple accident involving four vehicles, namely Iveco truck with number plate KWA 12 XA; Mitsubishi 1300, number plate GDD 295 DXA; a Nissan Quest space-bus with number plate DX 219 FST and Dangote articulated truck with number plate SNK 77 XA.
“A total of 16 persons, comprising 12 male and four females, were involved in the multiple crash while four males and three females were injured and number of those killed were 5 males.
“The cause of the accident was break failure and the victims and corpses were taken to Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.”
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