No fewer than 13 passengers have been confirmed dead, while two others received varying degree of injuries in a ghastly auto crash which occurred at Obajana, along Obajana -Lokoja Road in Lokoja Local government area of Kogi State on Sunday.
The Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC), Mr Samuel Oyedeji who disclosed this on Monday, stated that 13 persons died while two others were injured in an auto crash in Kogi.
Oyedeji, Kogi FRSC Sector Commander, told journalists that the sad incident occurred around 7: 30 p.m. on Sunday.
He explained that the accident involving a commercial Sharon Bus and an articulated Cement Truck, occurred at Obajana Market along Obajana -Lokoja Road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He pointed out that the Sharon bus had packed behind a truck around the market for passengers to buy some things, when the cement truck lost control as result of brake failure and subsequently rammed into it from behind.
“And that as soon as the truck rammed into the bus, it immediately went into flame and burnt virtually all the passengers inside it.
“Also burnt were the bus, two trucks and a motorcycle.
The bus was reportedly heading to Abuja from the southern part of the country.
“Our personnel, who were on rescue operations with Red Cross Nigeria and Police officers, couldn’t save the situation due the fierceness of the fire.
“But the charred remains of the affected persons were collected while the two injured persons have been taken to Fisayo Hospital, Obajana for medical attention.”
Oyedeji expressed worry that no hospital in Kogi agreed to take the charred bodies for keep, which might force the authorities to give them a mass burial if no relation came around.
The sector commander, who described the incident as “very sad and unfortunate”, cautioned motorists against speeding and poor maintenance of their vehicles.
According to him, motorists should always check their vehicles to ensure everything in order before embarking on a journey to avoid road crashes.
Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
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