Tag: Five die

•Danger averted as fuel laden tanker loses control in Ogun

At least five persons were yesterday killed in two separate accidents on Third Mainland Bridge and Ikeja, Lagos.

Two motorcyclists were said to have died on the spot at the wee hours of Saturday following a head on collusion on the bridge.

It was gathered that one of the motorcycles had two passengers aboard while the other was a dispatch rider.

One of the motorcyclists was said to be riding against traffic on top speed when he rammed into the other killing all four persons on the spot.

The victims were said to have been thrown off the bikes in different directions when they collided such that some of them were crushed by oncoming vehicles.

According to witnesses, one of the victims had his leg chopped off. It was gathered that relatives of the victims evacuated their bodies, while the affected motorcycles were removed by the police.

The other accident occurred yesterday evening at Ikeja after an unlatched container fell on two vehicles killing one person.

It was gathered that the containerised truck which was moving inward Sheraton Hotel road, had flat tyres and suddenly fell on two vehicles – a space bus and a Toyota Avalon car.

As soon as it fell, it was learnt that the container crushed the bus driver and also ignited fire on the vehicle.

According to sources, the bus driver was partially burnt and also crushed.

The driver who was trapped in his burning bus was said to have been evacuated by officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) when they arrived the scene.

It was gathered that the driver of the Toyota Avalon sustained injuries and was rushed to the hospital.

Contacted, police spokesman Chike Oti said no official report was made on the Third Mainland Bridge accident.

He confirmed that the police saw two motorcycles on the bridge when the report filtered in, adding that detectives have been deployed to mortuaries around to find out if victims of Third Mainland Bridge accident were brought to their facilities.

He said: “No official report was made to that effect. But the report filtered in and so we have commenced investigation. Policemen have been deployed to mortuaries around to find out if accident victims on Third Mainland Bridge were brought there. This is because the relatives of the victims ought to have made official entries at the police station. It is a case of fatal road accident and the families cannot deal with it alone.”

LASEMA confirmed the Ikeja accident to The Nation, adding that investigation into the cause would be conducted by relevant agencies.

However, disaster was averted in Ota, Ogun State,  yesterday when a tanker laden with 33,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit lost control on Ilo-Awela, Toll-Gate.

Mr Adekunle Ajibade, the Sango-Ota Zonal Commander of TRACE, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident happened at 4.06p.m.

According to him, the Mack tanker, with registration number FKJ 913XD was heading for Lagos when it lost control due to brake failure and crossed the divider to hit a LT vehicle marked EKY 748 TN.

He said that only the two vehicles were involved in the accident, adding that the driver of the LT was injured.

“A serious disaster that could have claimed so many lives was averted through the intervention of the Almighty God,” he said.

He also said that the injured person had been taken to General Hospital, Sango-Ota, for an intensive treatment.

Ajibade said that TRACE personnel, Federal Road Safety Corps and the police were on ground to control the situation.

He told NAN that the fuel was transloaded into other vehicles.

FIVE persons died and nine others were injured in three separate accidents on Monday in Anambra State.

Three persons died in the first accident on the Enugu/Onitsha expressway, involving a Toyota pick-up van (NSR 428 AU).

It was learnt that the bus was heading to Upper Iweka from Aguleri when the driver lost control and the bus somersaulted.

The eight occupants were rushed to the hospital where three were confirmed dead, including the driver. The  other five were injured and are receiving treatment.

A woman was confirmed dead in another accident on Nibo road by the Governor’s Lodge, involving a Mercedes (FGG 405 XV).

An eyewitness, who attributed the accident to brake failure, said the articulated lorry collided with three tricycles and a Toyota Camry (KPP 262 AA).

According to him, the casualties were rushed to the hospital where the woman was confirmed dead. Four others sustained injuries.

Police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the bodies have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue for autopsy.

He added that the driver of the truck has been arrested while the vehicles were towed away from the road for proper inspection.

A 25-year-old commercial motorcyclist, identified as Joe Ifemema, also died after he was hit by an articulated vehicle.

Driver of the unnumbered, truck belonging allegedly brushed the deceased while  avoiding a pot hole.

An eyewitness said the deceased sustained injuries but died during treatment at a hospital in Ifite-dunu.

Haruna said the victim was certified dead by the doctor and the body has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

“The scene was visited by police patrol team attached to Otuocha division and the driver of the caterpillar has been arrested,” he added.

 

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Niger State has said five persons were killed on Saturday in an accident on Lambata Kwakuti Road in Gurara Local Government Area.

FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Yusuf Garba, who spoke yesterday with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna, the state capital, said the accident involved a car and a truck.

He said the car was a white BMW with registration number BWR 264 SR and a Scana truck with registration number ISR 16 XU.

The sector commander said the five occupants of the BMW died, adding that his men took them to the Suleja General Hospital.

According to him, the cause of the accident is speeding and dangerous overtaking.

Garba said the FRSC would continue to monitor road users to guard against overloading and dangerous driving.

The sector commander urged road users to adhere to traffic rules and regulations to avoid unnecessary road crashes.

He said: “We have already embarked on a 24-hour patrol on all the federal highways to ensure safety of road users by enforcing traffic rules and regulations.”

He also appealed to residents in the state to promptly report road accidents to enable patrol officers to save lives.

FRSC issues alert over collapsed bridge on Mokwa-Jebba road.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has alerted the public over the collapse of a bridge after Mowo Junction on the Mokwa-Jebba road, due to heavy rainfall.

The Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, issued the alert in Abuja on Sunday morning.

He said the bridge, which is 18 kilometre from Mokwa town in Niger state, caved-in following a downpour.

“Vehicular movement from both sides of the road is affected. “Motorists are advised to take Lokoja road if going to Lagos and Abuja in the interim,” Kazeem said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five persons died in a suicide bomb attack on Mandarari, Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, it was learnt yesterday.

The Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, who confirmed this in a text message, said the attack was done by a male suicide bomber. He blew himself, killed four civilian JTF operatives and injured five others.

He said: “About 13:30hrs yesterday, a male bomber detonated his Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near an Airtel mast in Mandarari village, Konduga council, killing himself and four Civilian JTF operatives. Five others were injured.

“The Explosive Ordinance Team and other police teams have been deployed to sanitise the scene and environs, while bodies and the injured have been evacuated to the hospital.”

He added that normalcy has been restored in the area and investigation is on.

Five persons died in the fire which engulfed the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.

Over 200 huts were also burnt.

It was gathered that about four women and a child died in the fire.

A source said the death toll may rise because several IDPs sustained severe degree of burns. Livestock were also affected in the fire.

The caretaker Chairman of Kalabalge council, Bishara Musa Lawan, said his parents and relatives members were also affected by the incident, as all of them still live in the camp after their house was destroyed by insurgents.

He said: “The cause of the fire may be spiritual as the outbreak has become a yearly occurrence since 1999 whenever the dry season sets in.

“I have met with Governor Kashim Shettima and he has arranged for the welfare of victims. “Even the camp is over-crowded and there were plans to separate the camp to decongest it before the fire. Right now, I am going there with blankets, mats and food items and other commodities as temporarily measure to ameliorate the immediate problems of the IDPs.”