17 people have died in a ghastly
auto crash in Kwara State. The accident, which occurred in the early hours of
yesterday at Peke village, Kilometres 16 Ilorin-Jebba expressway, also left no
fewer than ten people with varying degrees of injuries. It involved a DAF
truck, with registration number XD 762 KNT and two Toyota Hummer buses with
registration numbers TAK 113 XA and XC 185 NSK. It was gathered that the
accident occurred around 3.30am at the spot where the dualisation of the
expressway terminates. According to reports, the truck was said to have rammed
into the commercial buses. Eyewitness account said that the Hummer buses, each
with 19 passengers, took off from Lagos and were heading for Kastina State. The
Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) in Kwara state,
Mrs. Mary Wakama, who confirmed the incident, said the corpses of the deceased
had been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). She
added that two victims with severe injuries had been taken to Sobi Specialist
Hospital, while others with minor injuries are receiving treatment at private
hospitals. Mrs. Wakawa, who blamed the accident on attitude of most drivers in
the country, discouraged night travelling, saying it portends danger. She also
said that the auto crash may have been caused by fatigue on the part of the
truck driver, adding that visibility is always poor in the night, stressing
that assistance would also be difficult to get at night.
Tags
Society