A devastating accident in the Aloma community, located in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, has resulted in the loss of fourteen lives, with thirteen others sustaining various degrees of injuries.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, involved a Toyota Sienna bus traveling from Port Harcourt to Abuja and a Toyota Hiace bus heading towards the Southern part of the country.
Eyewitnesses reported that the accident occurred due to a head-on collision between the two commercial Toyota buses.
According to witnesses, the Hiace bus, carrying thirteen passengers along with the driver, was tragically engulfed in flames immediately after the collision, resulting in the death of all occupants. Regrettably, one of the four survivors later succumbed to injuries while receiving medical treatment, raising the total number of fatalities to fourteen.
Fortunately, all ten occupants of the Sienna bus survived, although they sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment at the hospital. The timely intervention of nearby villagers prevented the Sienna bus from catching fire.
The eyewitness attributed the accident to overspeeding and the presence of potholes along a bend close to Government Science Secondary School, Aloma.
Rescue efforts were hindered by the severity of the crash, with it taking three hours to extricate the Sienna bus driver, who had sustained significant leg injuries.
While confirming the incident, Samuel Oyediji, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), stated that he is awaiting detailed information from the unit commander regarding the accident’s specifics.
The tragic collision serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of overspeeding and the importance of maintaining road infrastructure to prevent such devastating accidents in the future.