Fred Harrison, Abuja
A total total of 19 persons have died in road accident in Yangoji-Gwagwalada Road, Abuja.
The accident occurred at the National Agricultural Seeds Council, Pai junction, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) around 4am on Sunday.
The 19 victims who were traveling in a Toyota Hiace bus burnt beyond recognition when the driver ran into an articulated vehicle and it caught fire.
The Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem who confirmed the unfortunate incident in a statement said that eight others were injured in the accident.
According to him, the accident involved three vehicles – two Toyota Hiace buses with registration numbers MUB- 30 LG and DWR-985 XJ and an articulated vehicle.
He said that a total of 31 persons were in involved in the accident.
Kazeem said that out of the 31 victims, 7 were male, one female and the charred remains of the 19 whose sexuality could not be ascertained because they were burnt beyond recognition.
The FRSC attributed the accident to “speed limit violation and wrongful overtaking which eventually resulted in loss of control.”
The statement reads, “From investigation report forwarded by the rescue team regarding the crash, the unfortunate mishap involved 2 Toyota Hiace Busses with registration numbers MUB- 30 LG, DWR-985XJ and a Citroen Trailer.
“The ill-fated crash involved a total of 31 people comprising 11 Male occupants, 1 Female, and 19 others whose sexuality could not be ascertained as at the time of carrying out the rescue due largely to the intensity of the fire that burnt them.
“Out of the 31 victims, 8 people comprising of seven male and one female sustained various degrees of injuries, while 19 others were burnt beyond recognition.
“The investigation further revealed that the main causes of the crash involving the 3 vehicles are Speed limit violation and wrongful overtaking which eventually resulted in loss of control.
“The report also revealed that the Toyota Hiace Bus with REG NO: MUB- 30 LG, which was on a high speed crashed into a Citroen trailer on motion and immediately went into flames thereby burning the entire occupants of the vehicle to death. In the same vein, the second Bus also crashed into the crashed Bus from behind and also caught up in the fire.
“One of the buses was said to have transited all the way from Takai, Kano State heading to Benin, Edo State while the Citroen Trailer loaded with chicken feed from Zaria, Kaduna State was on its way to deliver the commodities in Akwa Ibom State.
“The rescue operations was jointly carried out by the combine teams of Zebra 6 Yangoji and patrol team of the Nigeria Police Force. The injured victims were rescued and taken to Rhema hospital Kwali, while one of the identified male corpse was deposited at Kwali General Hospital Mortuary.
“However, the 19 corpses burnt beyond recognition which were trapped in the vehicle have been extricated by rescue operatives of zebra 6 Yangoji.
“Clearing of obstructions for free flow of traffic was still on going as at the time of filing in this report.
“The Acting Corps Marshal while advising commuters to always avoid excessive speed, plan their trips and ensure that their journey fall within day time so as to minimize the level of casualties recorded as a result of night trips; also re emphasized that the Corps will step up both sensitization of the motoring public and enhance its patrol activities to deter traffic violators”.