AT least 15 people were burnt to death in an auto-crash that occurred along the Port-Harcourt-Enugu highway in Enugu state on Saturday April 8.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Bisi Kazeem confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday April 9.
Kazeem said the victims were burnt beyond recognition in the accident, which occurred at about 8.20 p.m. on Saturday. The vehicles involved in the crash include a Toyota 18-seater bus and a Mercedes truck.
“The victims have been given mass burial. All obstructions have been cleared. Enugu State Fire Service already extinguished the fire in the bus. The fatal crash is blamable on several factors including fatigue, which must have made one of the drivers to sleep on the wheels,’’ he stated.
Kazeem said the FRSC Marshal Dauda Biu advised motorists to avoid travelling during the night to reduce cases of road accidents.
“Travelers should plan their journeys for the day time because when crashes occur away from FRSC rescue points, it is difficult to access help from other motorists at night,” Kazeem stated.
On March 9, another 18-seater bus had been involved in an accident which claimed 10 lives along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Enugu State.
The ICIR also reported that at least 21 people were burnt to death in an auto crash at Udubo, Gamawa Local Government Area (LGA) of Bauchi State on March 23.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.