No fewer than fourteen people lost their lives, and thirteen others sustained injuries in an accident at Aloma community in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, April 21, involved a Toyota Sienna bus traveling from Port Harcourt to Abuja and a Hiace bus.
According to witnesses, the bus caught fire immediately after the collision, resulting in the death of all 13 occupants, including the driver, due to severe burns.
However, one of the four surviving passengers from the Hiace bus later passed away in the hospital due to burn injuries, bringing the total death toll to 14.
Meanwhile, all 10 occupants of the Sienna bus survived but sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
The eyewitness attributed the accident to over speeding and the presence of potholes near Government Science Secondary School, Aloma, which made the road hazardous.
Rescuers faced challenges, with it taking three hours to extricate the Sienna bus driver due to severe leg injuries.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Samuel Oyediji, confirmed the incident but indicated that he was awaiting detailed information from the unit commander in the area.
“I’m yet to be briefed by the unit commander in that axis of the true picture of the accident, ” he said.
In a separate incident along the Owerri-Onitsha Express Road on Friday, April 19, four individuals lost their lives due to an avoidable accident caused by a reckless truck driver.
The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, confirmed the fatalities, urging motorists to exercise caution and observe safety measures on the highway.
