A tragic incident occurred early Saturday morning on the Benin-Auchi highway, resulting in the deaths of 12 passengers who were engulfed in flames following a severe collision between a Toyota Hiace bus and a truck.
The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, verified the occurrence, which took place around 5 a.m. in the Igueoviobo community, close to an army checkpoint on the highway, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
Mathew stated that the bus, which had departed from Zuba in the Federal Capital Territory and was en route to Benin, collided head-on with a truck that was approaching from the opposite direction towards Auchi.
Following the impact, the bus was engulfed in flames, making it impossible to rescue any of the victims.
“The entire occupants of the bus were killed in the crash,” he stated.
He stated that driver fatigue might have been a contributing factor, as the driver could have dozed off behind the wheel, leading to the tragic accident.
Mathew noted that FRSC officials were able to identify the deceased through the vehicle’s passenger manifest and had since contacted their families.
He further disclosed that the truck driver and his assistant, commonly referred to as the “Motor Boy,” escaped unhurt.