Tragedy struck on Thursday as a ghastly accident took place on the Benin-Lagos expressway in Edo State. The collision involved a Toyota Hiace 18-seater bus and a truck belonging to Dangote Cement. It claimed the lives of no fewer than 11 people. Also, eight persons were left with varying injuries.
Reports indicate that the accident occurred at the Ovia Bridge around 11 am. This particular bridge has gained notoriety for its high rate of accidents, attributed to both a failed section of the road and the dilapidated condition of the bridge itself, which crosses the river.
The truck, reportedly traveling at a high speed from Lagos to Benin, collided with the bus that had slowed down at the failed section of the road. Tragically, this collision resulted in the instantaneous death of 11 people and left several others injured.
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An eyewitness said, ‘The Toyota Hiace bus going to the east en route Edo State slowed down at the bad portion of the Ovia river bridge, but the Dangote truck that was on top speed rammed into it, killing some passengers and injuring others.’
According to available information, some of the individuals involved in the accident, including both bus occupants and victims, had recently participated in a program organized by a widely recognized church in Lagos.
Official confirmation of the accident came from Paul Okpe, the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Okpe said, ‘We had a crash on the bridge at Ovia River this morning. A truck ran into a Toyota Hummer Bus and 11 persons lost their lives and eight persons injured. Both the dead and the injured were moved to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital by our ambulances. Three vehicles were involved.’
‘The truck ran into the Hummer but after narrowly missing a Kia vehicle. The three vehicles are in the police station not far from our office at the Toll Gate.’
‘For the possible cause, we are leaving that to our Accident Investigations department to establish, but it was the truck that ran into the vehicles and the casualties were in the bus,’ he added.
The occurrence of this fatal accident on the road screams for swift action to correct the ruins that have caused issues and the tragic loss of lives for road users.