From AMEDU JOSEPH, Lokoja
FOURTEEN persons have been burnt beyond recognition in an auto-crash on the Ejule-Otukpa Branch highway at Alloma, Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Kogi Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Samuel Oyedeji, confirmed the accident which occured Sunday, precisely on a sharp bend at Government Day Science Secondary School, Alloma, involving two Toyota buses, a Hiace and a Sienna, in a head-on collision.
Oyedeji, however, told our correspondent that he was yet to be briefed by the Unit Commander about the details.
Our reporter gathered that the Toyota Hiace bus, which belonged to Apa Local Government Council of Benue State, was said to have a full load of 17 passengers from Abuja, while the Sienna bus was from Port-Harcourt, enroute to Abuja.
Imam Ibrahim, who was among sympathisers who rushed to the scene, told newsmen that one of the buses was trying to overtake at the bend, unaware that another vehicle was approaching from the opposite direction.
In the head-on collision that ensued, the Toyota Hiace bus exploded and caught fire and only three passengers who were miraculously flung out of the vehicle escaped death by the whiskers as the rest were burnt to death beyond recognition.
The charred remains of the Hiace bus driver, who was burnt sitting on his seat and 13 others, could only be accessed on Sunday morning as efforts to put out the flames by the locals failed.
Imam said that passengers in the Sienna bus were, however, lucky as the vehicle was flung away from the Hiace after the powerful impact.
But the driver’s legs were trapped by the squeezed engine parts of the Sienna and it took three hours for the locals to dismantle the vehicle and release his mangled limbs.
The Sienna passengers were seriously injured and rushed to the hospital along with the driver who lost both limbs but there was no case of death.
He said, “None of the 10 occupants of the Sienna Bus died but were seriously injured and are receiving treatment in the hospital.
“We quickly rushed to the scene of the accident to rescue the victims but we could not go near the Hiace Bus because of the fire but were able to rescue the injured and tore the Sienna to remove the driver.”
