From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of 17 travellers in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.
The FRSC Unit Commander in Akwanga, Assistant Corps Commander, Ebere Onyegbaduo, made the confirmation this Sunday, in an interview with newsmen.
According to him, the Corps received a distress call of a fatal accident by 7:00PM, between Akwanga and Gudi towns.
In his words: “We received a distress call of a ghastly accident by 7 pm around Ahead town, it is between Akwanga and Gudi towns.
“We rushed to the scene and found a commercial VW Sharon bus and a private Toyota Sienna bus engulfed in flames with the occupants inside the burning vehicles.
“We called for Fire Brigade, the fire was contained by 11pm and we completed the rescue by 2am.”
Ebere further stated that, preliminary investigation showed that the Sharon Bus coming from Abuja overtook on a hill, and at a bend when it ran into the Sienna bus and the two vehicles went up in flames, leading to the death of 17 people beyond recognition.
He said that the occupants of the Sharon bus have been deposited at the Akwanga General Hospital, while those of the Sienna have been taken to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, (DASH) in Lafia.
He, therefore, cautioned drivers to avoid dangerous driving, to safeguard their lives and of passengers.
In another development, six family members perished in an auto crash involving a Sienna car also returning to Abuja.
The Voice gathered that the family – Prince Nuhu Hamman Gabdo, his wife and four children died in the accident, while returning to Abuja after the visit to his town in Gashaka, Mambilla Plateau of Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba state.
The late Nuhu Hamman Gabdo was a staff with Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) in Abuja and held the traditional title of ‘Ubandoma’ of Gashaka Chiefdom.
