The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Accident

  • Scores burnt in fatal crash on Benin-Ore Road

    Scores burnt in fatal crash on Benin-Ore Road

    It was a gory sight on Friday afternoon on the Benin-Lagos road as the charred remains of passengers  roasted to death when fire engulfed the luxurious bus they were travelling in littered the road.
    The accident which occurred at Ugbogui village along the Benin-Lagos road involved a trailer carrying cement, a tanker and a luxurious bus.
    Only three passengers in the bus were said to have survived with severe burnt. Witnesses said they ran out with flames on their body.
    Other passengers including those in the trailer and tanker died in the inferno.
    It was gathered that the accident occurred at about 1:30pm when the trailer hit the tanker from behind.
    Witnesses said the three vehicles were coming from Lagos direction and that the luxurious bus had a burst tire and in an attempt to manoeuvre hit the tanker and the trailer hit the tanker from behind which resulted to fire.
    Many passengers came down to take photographs of the charred remains of the victims which littered the streets as at press time.
    They were burnt beyond recognition. A witness said the passengers were crying for help but there was no way to help them because of the flames.
    Two brothers aged four and three were also burnt to death. They were said to have been sleeping inside their mother’s shop when the accident occurred.
    Their sister who managed to ran has been admitted at the village clinic and she suffered some bones and had a broken leg while running away.
    Their mother who gave her name as Eunice Okunyade gave the names of her dead sons as Kesmond and Solomon.
    She spoke amidst tears, “I was told about the fire and when I ran there I saw my shop on fire and my children were burning inside.”
    More than 15 shops were lost to the inferno while 16 vehicles and ten motor-cycles were burnt including properties such as generators, sewing machines, fridges, motor-parts.
    Some of the victims who spoke to the Nation what they heard was a bang and then fire.
    A motor-parts dealer, Oyedokn Fatai and motor mechanic, Jimoh Olaniyi said there were at their shops when the incident happened.
    They said they ran to escape being injured or dead.
    “I heard noise and the next thing was fire. We all ran away.”
    Pastor Godwin Iyede said he parked his vehicle and came back to saw it in flames.
    The incident caused heavy traffic gridlock as both sides on the highway were blocked.
    Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and policemen were seen controlling traffic and putting out the fire.
    They declined comments but an official who pleaded anonymity said they were awaiting the manifest to know the identity of the victims and the actual numbers in the bus.
    The official said they were confused on what to do with the charred corpses as officials of the University of Benin Teaching said they lacked the capacity to take the corpses.
    As at 7:30pm yesterday, the corpses and the vehicles were still on the road while travellers were stranded on the highway.

  • ‘Western-built jets recorded lowest accident rate in 2012’

    The 2012 global accident rate for Western-built jets was the lowest in aviation history, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed.

    According to IATA Director-General, Mr Tony Tyler, about 100,000 flights arrived daily at their destinations.

    He said the industry’s record safety performance in 2012 was the best in history.

    The increasing safety rate for commercial jets was attributed to team work by many stakeholders in the global aviation sector.

    He said: “Airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers and safety regulators must work together to ensure every flight is as safe as possible. Their dedication and cooperation has made air travel remarkably safe. Nevertheless, there is still work to do. Every accident is one too many and each fatality is a human tragedy.

    “Africa is a continent divided on performance. Airlines on the IOSA registry are performing at or above industry average rates. But the continent’s overall performance is far from satisfactory. It should be as safe to travel by air in Africa as it is in any other part of the world,” said Tyler.

    In May last year, IATA, with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and other organisations agreed to be committed to an Africa Strategic Improvement Action Plan aimed at addressing safety deficiencies and strengthening regulatory oversight in the region by 2015.

    The plan was endorsed as part of the ‘Abuja Declaration’ by the Ministerial meeting on Aviation Safety and Security of the African Union in July and endorsed at the Assembly of the African Union in January this year.

  • Seven dead in Delta accident

    No fewer than seven persons died yesterday on the Ughelli/ Warri axis of the East/West Road in Delta State.

    Sources said the remains of nine victims, including that of a baby, were recovered from the scene.

    But the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed seven deaths.

    The bus, owned by the Delta State Government transport company, was a heap of metal scraps when our reporter visited the scene at noon. It was marked DT 497 B28.

    It was gathered that the driver, who had just overtaken a Toyota Hilux van, lost control and plunged into a ditch before ramming into the opposite tracks of the dual-carriage highway.

    FRSC State Commandant Mrs. Susan Ajenge said the accident was caused by excessive speeding.

    She said seven persons, comprising three men, three women and a child, died.

    “Those injured were taken to the hospital, the dead were taken to the mortuary in Warri.”

    An eyewitness said: “It was around 7am. The bus was coming from Sapele and was fully loaded.

    “The driver was obviously avoiding a vehicle parked on the roadside when he lost control.”

    “Out of the 16 passengers, we only saw about two persons standing.

    “A lady carrying plantain chips (kpekere), , was sitting close to the door; she was cut along with the door.”

    “It is one of the worst accident scenes I have ever seen,” an auto mechanic, who simply identified himself as Lucky said..

    One survivor was treated at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara.

    He told our reporter that his friend sitting next to him died.

    The man returned to the scene with his wife, four hours later.

    He said the heavy morning dew contributed to the accident.

     

  • Nigeria lost 1,166 people in 131 air accidents, says AON

    The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) yesterday said Nigeria lost 1,166 lives in 131 aircraft accidents between 1967 and 2012.

    Officials of the group spoke at a news conference in Lagos..

    AON’s Secretary-General Alhaji Mohammed Joji, who read the group’s address, said the accidents involved fixed wings aircraft and helicopters.

    “None of these accidents is attributed to any mechanical failure of the aircraft except the last DANA crash which lost its two engines,” Joji said.

    He hailed the Federal Government and the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, for lifting the suspension placed on Dana Airline following the June 3 crash in Lagos.

    Joji recalled that the mistakes of the past, which resulted in the grounding of aircraft, had negative impact on the aviation industry.

    He said: “As a result of this unilateral, punitive and incoherent policy deviation and policy contradiction, Albarka and Savannah Airlines were also forced to close down with a loss of hundreds of jobs.

    “Chanchangi Airlines also lost millions of dollars as a result of this distorted policy,” Joji said.

    He said the AON was canvassing frequent maintenance of ageing aircraft, adding: “A well maintained old aircraft is better than a poorly maintained new aircraft.”

    “New aircraft are often purchased to add capacity to the existing fleet and not to immediately replace the fleet,’’ Joji said.

    He said the AON believed that imposing a ban on aircraft above 22 years old was not consistent with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Standard and Recommended Practice and wanted a review.

    Joji also said the AON believed it was wrong for the Senate Committee on Aviation to reach a conclusion on the causes of the Dana Air crash before the investigative report was concluded.

    “It seems to us in the industry that the committee had already made up its mind before the conclusion of investigation,’’ he said.

    Joji said the AON believed such an action could portray the industry in bad light.

    At the news conference were AON chairman, Dr Steve Mahonwu, the Assistant Secretary-General, Alhaji Mohammed Tukur and Mr. Paul Ib.

     

  • Three killed in Ogun accident

    A bus conveying policemen yesterday killed a commercial motorcyclist and his two passengers yesterday in Ijkoko Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    The incident occurred at Ntabo.

    It was learnt that the bus driver, Ahmed Hamzat, tried to escape, but irate youths gave him a hot chase and caught up with him.

    Sources said the youths threw stones and other objects at policemen in the area at sight, injuring several of them.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the injured policemen have been hospitalised.

    Adejobi said the policemen boarded the commercial bus. He said the driver was not a policeman and the bus did not belong to the police.

  • Five dead in Benue road accident

    Five persons were feared dead yesterday in a motor accident on Makurdi-Gboko federal highway at Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State.

    An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, told The Nation that a 19-passenger bus belonging to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had a head-on collision with a van conveying loaves of bread.

    The passenger vehicle was reportedly heading to Abuja from Cross River State while the bread van was from Makurdi, the state capital, and heading to Wannune.

    The eyewitness said the driver of the passenger bus was attempting to overtake another vehicle at a bend when it collided with the bread van.

    A woman was said to be among those who died on the spot.

    Several others were injured and taken to Wannune General Hospital, the eyewitness said. The bodies of the dead have been deposited at the mortuary.

    Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from Makurdi and Gboko units battled for about four hours to clear the wreckage for traffic to flow.

    The Public Enlightenment Officer of the FRSC in the Benue State Command, Samson Audu, said his men were on top of the situation.

     

  • Three die in Enugu-Onitsha road accident

    Three persons died and seven others were injured yesterday in an accident at the Umumba Junction on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway at 11.30am.

    A police bulletin by the Enugu State Police Command’s spokesman, Ebere Amaraizu, said the accident involved a Toyota Camry, with registration number AL578AGU and a 504 station wagon with registration number (Lagos) AL772GGE.

    Two of the victims, including the driver, reportedly died on the spot.

    The injured were rushed to Our Saviour’s Hospital at 9th Mile Corner, Ngwo.

    One of the injured later died in the hospital.

    The police said the cause of the accident was unknown.

    It added that the bodies have been deposited at the mortuary.

    The names and addresses of the victims could not be established at the time of going to the press last night.

     

  • 33 drown in expressway accident in Ogun

    No fewer than 33 persons drowned  by noon on Friday when a coaster bus loaded with passengers ran- off a dual carriage bridge and plunged into a river at J4, Ogbere -Ijebu stretch of the Sagamu – Ore express way.

    The long medium range luxury bus still remained drowned and swept away from the point of entry to the river but there were three lucky survivors, including a pregnant woman who hung between a tree branch according to  the Unit Commander, Ijebu – Ode Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), Mr Seidu Isah Osilama.

    Osilama said FRSC operatives arrived at the scene of the accident few minutes after the accident occurred and they were able to rescue the three survivors because they fell off the bus and landed on tree.

    He said rescue effort would require crane and divers to ascertain the location of the bus and the passengers inside the water.

    According to him, the exact numbers of passengers in the bus or the casualty figure is not known as the victims are still in the river.

  • Two Osun College students die in accident

    Two Osun College students die in accident

    •Students ‘burn’ palace, secretariat  •Authorities shut school

    Two students of the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, yesterday died in a road accident.

    Their colleagues went on the rampage, burning a part of the palace of the Orangun of Ila-Orangun, Oba Wahab Oyedotun Bibiire and other property in the community.

    It was learnt that the students burnt a part of the Ila Local Government Secretariat when their request to see the council chairman was not granted.

    Sources said the victims, simply identified as Sodiq and Wale, boarded a commercial motorcycle and were going to attend a morning lecture when the accident occurred.

    The protesters claimed that the deplorable condition of the road leading to the school and the alleged failure of the institution’s management to provide a decent transportation system was responsible for the accident.

    They made bonfires on major roads and popular junctions in the town.

    The Welfare Officer of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Mr. Tanimomo Opeyemi, alleged that the accident was caused by the heaps of sand on the road, which is under construction.

    He said the contractor handling the project had abandoned it and the students were victims of the institutional neglect.

    The authorities of the institution have closed down the college to prevent a further breakdown of law and order.

    In a statement, the Registrar, Alhaji G. O. Kolawole, directed all students to proceed on a mid-semester break and vacate the campus.

    He said the date of resumption would be communicated to the students through the media.

    Police spokesperson Folasade Odoro said the police are on top of the situation.

     

  • Family of abandoned accident victim cries out

    Family of abandoned accident victim cries out

    Nineteen-year-old Abiola Agboola’s dream of going to the university after obtaining Ordinary National Diploma (OND), has suffered a major setback.
    For over five months, she has been on the sick bed after two surgeries. Even then, she still needs more professional attention to avoid losing her left leg.
    Her predicament began on March 24 after she was knocked down by a tanker loaded with diesel. The incident happened at Anthony Village, Lagos as she wanted to board a motorcycle to her examination centre.
    Her parents, Mr Kayode Agboola-Mathew and his wife, both petty traders in Lagos, have expended their earnings on the accident.
    So far, no less than N1.5m has been coughed out by the Agboolas.
    As Miss Agboola writhes in pain on hospital bed but the police at Anthony Village, where the case was reported, are yet to prosecute the tanker driver who perpetrated the evil.
    Sources said the culprit attempted to escape the scene but was caught  by a mob along the toll gate and was handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, DSP Archibong Dyong who in turn put a junior colleague on the case as Investigative Police Officer (IPO).
    Sources hinted that the culprit was released without a bail bond and that the case was not under the jurisdiction of Anthony but Somolu.      A written agreement was said to have made on March 27, 2012 that the employers of the tanker driver, Alhaji Abdul Kadiri and Sons Nigeria, pay the sum of N150,000  to the family being part payment for Abiola’s treatment.
    Part of the agreement also reads: “We all agreed that there will be more commitment in the treatment of the wounded person.”
    It was also said that both parties agree that the representatives of the company would visit the wounded girl in the hospital “to see to the development of her health…”
    This agreement was reportedly reached in the presence of the Divisional Traffic Officer.
    The representative of the firm, Mr Yisa Hassan was said to have relocated from Lagos while the owner Alhaji Abdul Kadiri was inaccessible to Agboola’s family.
    Abiola’s father, Agboola-Mathew told Newsextra that a certain officer has accepted the sum of N130, 000 from the oil firm to step down the case.
    According to him, the doctor’s report from the General Hospital, Ikeja said, “Abiola sustained severe soft tissue and bone injuries to the right lower limb and will need to undergo the third surgery as soon as possible.”
    He lamented that he has sold all his belongings, including a piece of land in Lagos, to meet up with the medical bill, saying the oil firm has not visited the hospital in the past five months.
    He decried the lackadaisical attitude of the police in handling the case, saying the family has been impoverished as a result of her daughter’s sickness.
    “My daughter has been confined to the hospital bed having undergone two surgeries and awaiting the third one,” he said.
    The native of Inisha in Osun State, said neither he nor his wife could continue in business since the incident took place as they have to stay with their daughter on her sick bed.
    Hassan, the General Manager of the oil firm, told Newsextra: “I am an employee of the firm and have tried my best; I have told the family to contact Alhaji Kadiri and sort it out with him.”
    Contacted on the telephone, DSP Archibong refused to give any  details of the case, saying he was away in Akwa Ibom State on his annual leave.
     “Tell Abiola’s father that he is a fool; I am exercising my human right in Akwa Ibom and I don’t need any disturbance.”
    When contacted, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said she was not aware of the case and referred Newsextra to the Divisional Police Officer of the station Superintendent of Police Adeola Raji, who was on leave when the incident was reported at the police station in March.
    Raji promised to look into the case and ensure the culprits are brought to book while necessary steps would be taken to ensure Abiola regains her health.
    Abiola is asking the public for help.
    Any assistance should be forwarded to Abiola Atinuke Agboola’s GT Bank Account Number: 237 2347 191 820.