No fewer than 12 persons, including a child, have been confirmed dead, while two others sustained injuries after a commercial bus crashed into a parked articulated vehicle along the Ejule Enugu highway in Kogi State.
The Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed the incident on Saturday through the Sector Commander in the state, Mr Tenimu Etuku, who spoke with journalists in Lokoja.
According to Etuku, the crash occurred around 11.30 p.m. on Friday at Iboko community in Idah Local Government Area and involved an 18 seater Toyota Hiace bus belonging to Romchi Mass Transit, which was travelling from Abuja to the eastern part of the country.
He described the accident as “fatal and very unfortunate,” explaining that the bus rammed into a faulty articulated vehicle that had been parked on the highway, an action he attributed to overspeeding.
FRSC officials who responded to the distress call carried out rescue operations at the scene, evacuating the injured victims to Mercy of Jesus Hospital in Ejule for medical treatment, while the corpses of the deceased were deposited at the morgue.
Expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, the sector commander warned motorists against reckless driving, especially during the yuletide season.
“At this yuletide, motorists must be careful and adhere strictly to traffic rules and regulations to avoid such accidents and the waste of precious lives,” Etuku said.
He added, “I hereby urge drivers to exercise patience and maintain safe driving practices, especially during long-distance journeys this yuletide, as this will help reduce the alarming rate of road traffic crashes and fatalities in the country.”
