ABOUT 13 travellers reportedly found dead in week-long ghastly motor accidents in Nasarawa state.
The crashes which occurred last week separately from Thursday 28th November, to Saturday 1st December, along Nasarawa Eggon to Akwanga road, left many motorists stranded on the road for several hours before officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) came to their rescue.
Eyewitness accounted that about thirteen people lost their lives, others injured and several vehicles damaged during the incident.
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Nigerian Tribune was at the scene of December 1st happening and took a step further to interact with some of the travellers who appealed to the Federal Government to speedily kick-start the dualisation of the 220kilometress road officially inaugurated recently in Nasarawa state.
According to them, this would definitely address the incessant occurrence of accidents on the road.
Aliyu Idris, a traveller from plateau state said since the Federal Government has flagged off the dualisation of the road, “I am urging them to as a matter of urgency start work immediately or even help us expand the road so that all these would be avoided or reduce”, he pleaded
Narrating how the incidence happened, Solomon Obasi; a passenger who was returning from Dunamist’s convention at Abuja, heading to Jalingo, Taraba state expressed thus: “Accounting what we heard, was this J5 bus coming down and hit a packed spoiled truck and got into flame in the process.
The other company truck ascended and saw the flame, he applied the break but it failed and he suddenly ran into the pit which caused the death of the driver.
“The Driver inside the J5 bus and his conductor were instantly burnt beyond recognition with other passengers, he explained.
Mr Obasi who further stressed that the road is the cause of the accident, therefore called the attention of the government to rescue them.
He added that ” this is not the first, fifth or hundred, but multiple times that is happening on this Sam road. The government should help us to rescue people’s lives.
“I heard that the Federal Government has flagged off the dualisation of the road, but until we see them start the work and even complete it before the masses would be convinced with them.
Similarly, another passenger who was also hugged on the road, named Choice A. from cross River state gave her account thus: “We are here at the time when they were removing the head of the driver from the burnt J5 bus.
“This truck is parked here because it spoiled, while the J5 bus is descending and hit the truck parked and got fire, the other heavy vehicle ascending and in an attempted to dodge the flaming vehicle, lost control and ran into this big pit. The driver instantly died. About four people in the J5 bus and the driver were all burnt to death, they only removed their skulls and some of the bones from there from the bus”, she explained.
Yahaya Ahmed, who is resident of Nasarawa Eggon (close to the scene) said it was just the two drivers that died because there were no passengers inside the J5 bus.
“He also pleaded, “Federal Government should help us save lives in this road because even on Thursday 28th, there was an accident involving three Sharon cars on the same spot where eight persons lost their lives”.
Meanwhile, the state Sectors Commandant of the state Fostina Alaigbe confirmed the accident but said only four deaths were recorded so far.
Although, Governor Tanko Al- makura in an attempt to address the incessant occurrence of the accident along the Lafia to Akwanga road however since commenced construction of Kwandere to keffi 65 kilometres road as a bye past alternative.
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