Twenty four hours after, remains and footwear of pupils of Army Day Primary School located at 3 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Effurun, were still at the scene where they were crushed by by a fuel tanker on Thursday.
A trailer had, on Thursday fallen and killed some pupils of Army Day Primary School who were returning home after school along the NPA Expressway opposite the school gate.
It was earlier speculated on the day of the incident that six pupils died while some others injured were rushed to the hospital.
But Tribune Online later found out from eyewitnesses and residents around the area that almost all the pupils who were involved in the accident had died.
When Tribune Online visited the scene on Friday, some remains as well as footwear and personal effects were seen on the spot where the trailer ran over the pupils.
Scores of sympathisers were also seen in groups discussing the tragedy in hush tones.
One of the sympathisers at the scene said: “I am a trailer driver. The incident happened around 2:30 p.m on Thursday. One of the drivers that loaded his trailer with PMS from one of the depots was going towards roundabout.
“All of a sudden, he Iost control and the trailer fell on the pupils that came from the school (Army Day School) waiting for vehicles to convey them home directly opposite the Army Barracks.
“Though people were saying that some injured were taken to the hospital, but with the position the trailer fell and with the way several parts of the body were detached from some pupils, I’m not sure any of them survived.”
Another witness, who gave his name as Victor, disclosed that he was related to the lady that reportedly lost four children to the accident.
According to him, the eldest one, a girl, should be 12 years old, adding that the deceased were two boys and two girls.
A lady, who lives in the army barracks, claimed the the mother of the four deceased children was with her children at the bus stop when the incident happened.
“Their mother came to pick them home from school. She had already crossed to the bus stop opposite the barracks with her children and had gone back to take her neighbour’s children.
“But immediately she left her children and crossed to the gate of the school, the trailer coming from NPA direction fell on the children. The woman, on seeing what had happened, fainted.”
Meanwhile, chairman of Warri South Local Government Area, Dr. Michael Tidi, has condoled with families of the pupils, the management of the school and the chairman of Uvwie Local Government Area, Mr Ramson Tega Onoyake.
He also called for stringent measures to avert a reccurrence of the tragic death of the pupils of the school.
Dr Tidi, in a statement issued on Friday, urged authorities of the primary and secondary schools’ Parents Teachers Association located inside the army barracks as well as other critical stakeholders to fashion out safety measures to avoid such tragedy in future.
A few pupils and teachers sighted at the expressroad on Friday afternoon, however, called for an iron bus stop to be built across where the pupils usually wait for commercial buses and a pedestrian bridge.
As of the time of filing the report, no official statement had been issued the state government on the incident.
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