No fewer than 11 passengers were feared dead Wednesday while eight others sustained injuries, when a Dangote Cement Company truck rammed into an Edo State bound 18-seater mini bus along the Benin-Lagos Expressway at Ovia River Bridge, near Benin City.
The accident which happened at about 11am, occurred when the truck, which was on top speed, ran into a failed section of the road by the bridge.
Sources told this publication that the truck which, was heading towards Benin from Lagos at top speed, rammed into the 18 ill-fated mini bus which slowed down at the failed portion of the bridge.
The deceased reportedly died on the spot while those injured were rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the Edo State capital, some 15 minutes’ drive away.
The mini bus, a Toyota Hiace was said to be heading to the eastern part of the country en route Benin when the accident happened on the bridge which is notorious for several auto crashes.
The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Paul Okpe who, confirmed the accident, said it involved an articulated truck and a Toyota Hiace bus.
Okpe who attributed the accident to recklessness, confirmed the death of 11 persons in the accident while eight others sustained various degrees of injuries.
According to him, the driver of the Toyota bus slowed down at the bad section of the road by Ovia River and in the process, the truck which was on top speed, rammed into the bus, killing the victims and injuring several others.
The sector commander said the injured victims were taken to the hospital for treatment while the corpse were deposited at the morgue.
He advised drivers to imbibe the culture of safe driving and always be at alert while driving.
