The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that 19 persons, including five children, died in a fatal road accident along the Lokoja-Obajana road in Kogi State on Sunday.
Kogi State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kumar Tsukwam, who confirmed the incident to ARISE News on Monday afternoon, said the accident involved a Toyota Hummer bus and an articulated truck in the Gadabiu community of Lokoja Local Government Area. The crash occurred around 4:00 p.m.
According to Tsukwam, the bus, which was reportedly heading to Abuja from the southern part of the country, was attempting to overtake another truck when it collided head-on with an oncoming articulated vehicle.
“It was very unfortunate, because it was caused by speeding and wrongful overtaking and involved 27 persons with only eight survivors,” Tsukwam said.
He added that the impact of the crash led to a fire outbreak that claimed the lives of 19 passengers on the spot.
“Our rescue operation team and the Police were able to rescue the eight survivors and rushed them to Fisayo Hospital, Obajana for immediate medical attention,” he added.
The FRSC Commander noted that the survivors sustained various degrees of injuries including bruises, cuts, dislocations, fractures, and burns.
Expressing concern over the frequency of fatal crashes on Nigerian highways, Tsukwam urged motorists to exercise caution and obey traffic rules.
“The highways are not race roads,” he warned. “Motorists must avoid speed and wrongful overtaking.”
He further appealed to road users to comply with traffic regulations, stating that such adherence would greatly support the FRSC and the federal government’s ongoing efforts to curb road crashes and loss of lives across the country.
Chioma Kalu
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