By Amos Igbebe
Dangote Cement Truck, Friday, rammed into an 18 Seater Bus, a dustbin collector and a taxi cab along the ever busy Benin Asaba Expressway killing at least 12 persons on the spot.
As soon as the accident occurred, the vehicles went ablaze consuming the persons beyond recognition.
The collision occurred as a result of the vehicles driving against the flow of traffic, as the other lane was overflowed due to long queue of vehicles waiting to buy fuel at the NNPC Mega Station situated opposite the Asaba International Airport.
As soon as the vehicles went ablaze, the smoke billowed into the air thereby calling attention of sympathisers from the airport and others from Asaba city, the Delta State capital.
Men of the Airport Fire Service were quickly drafted to the scene to assist in fighting the fire which engulfed all the passengers in the 18 seater bus.
The 18 Seater Bus was said to be coming from Benin axis heading towards Onitsha direction in top speed when it rammed into the vehicles that were running against the traffic.
An eyewitness told journalists that the impact of the Dangote Cement Truck made the bus to somersault several times, noting that the bus was later trapped under the same truck.
According to the eyewitness, the vehicles burst into flames immediately before rescue efforts could be mobilized, and that heart rendering cries were heard ostensibly from occupants of the ill-fated vehicles.
As at the time of filing this report, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had arrived at the scene and were making frantic efforts to rescue the victims.
Nine burnt bodies including five men and four females have been retrieved from the trapped vehicles as at press time.
Although the drivers of the cement laden truck were said to have escaped from the scene, the driver of refuse collection truck and a passenger yet to be identified were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba for urgent attention.
The recovered dead persons were also taken to the mortuary at the FMC by officials of the FRSC.
Sector Commander of the FRSC in Delta State, Mr. Rindom Kumven attributed the accident to route and speed violation by the drivers.
