Vanguard learned that a diesel-laden tanker crashed, Monday, and spilled its content on the highway on its way to Lagos around 8p.m.
Confirming the incident, the state Public Police Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the tanker ran into a bad portion of the road.
He said the spill made the road slippery and vehicles coming in the opposite lane ran into it unawares, which made them skid off the road.
He said: “The tanker was carrying black oil. It crashed around 8p.m. on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway and spilled its content on the highway, mostly on the opposite lane. Vehicles coming ran into it and skidded off the road.
“We heard that it was only one person, the okadaman, that died. Some others were injured and they are receiving treatment in the hospital.”
Survivors
However, an eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Bayo, said no fewer than four persons died in the crash.
A Dangote truck driver, Abubakar Umar, who survived the accident, said he escaped death by the whiskers.
He said: “I ran into the slippery portion unawares and the truck lost balance, skidded off its track before plunging into a valley by the roadside.”
Another eyewitness told Vanguard that four vehicles, which were on their way towards the Sagamu-Benin-Ore area, lost control when they ran on the spilled diesel.
The eyewitness said: “Another truck carrying tyres also fell, spilling its contents on the road. A commercial bus and one other lorry were also involved, while a damaged motorcycle was also seen at the accident spot.”
This led to a gridlock on the expressway yesterday, as all the vehicles on the highway were diverted to a single lane.
Operatives of Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, the state’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency and police were seen controlling traffic at the scene, while some men were covering the oil-filled road surface with sand.
Vanguard
No comments:
Post a Comment