The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Tuesday, confirmed 15 persons dead and five others seriously injured in an auto crash following a collision between a J-5 Boxer Bus and a Petroleum Tanker, at Koton-Karfe along Lokoja-Abuja highway around 7.30 am.
FRSC Corps Commander, Stephen Dawulung, Kogi Sector command, who confirmed the incident, said that the 5 injured persons were rushed to Ideal Hospital at Koton-Karfe for immediate medical attention.
According to Dawulung, the corpses of the dead victims have been deposited at the Morgue of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Lokoja.
He explained that the cause of the crash was due to sheer violation of traffic rules by the bus driver who was driving against traffic while heading to Abuja from Lokoja.
“The bus driver left his lane and was driving in the opposite direction at high speed only to have a head-on collision with an oncoming petroleum tanker.
“Thank God for the tanker which was laden with Petroleum products did not go up in flames, which could have been more devastating and worrisome.
“The unfortunate thing is that the bus was conveying iron cramps with 17 passengers, 15 of which were terribly squeezed and choked to death during the collision.
“It’s sad the prevalent disabuse of traffic rules and regulations by motorists and commuters. Vehicles meant for goods should strictly carry only goods and not passengers as in this unfortunate case,” Dawulung lamented
The FRSC Commander commiserated with the families of the victims and advised motorists to always adhere to traffic rules and regulations to avoid unwanted auto crashes.
(VON)
