Sixteen persons have reportedly died and five others injured in an auto crash around the Alaro City, Epe area of Lagos State.
Daily Trust learnt that the crash, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, involved two vehicles – a white Toyota Hummer commuter bus and an articulated truck conveying sand.
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The passengers on board the bus were said to be travelling from Lagos to a yet-to-be-ascertained destination.
It was gathered that the bus rammed into the truck from behind around 3am due to poor visibility.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the number of casualties to one of our correspondents.
The FRSC Sector Commander, Lagos Sector Command, Olusegun Ogungbemide, blamed the crash on recklessness on the part of the drivers.
NEMA Lagos Territorial Head, Ibrahim Farinloye, told Daily Trust that “16 persons were burnt beyond recognition.”
However, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said five persons died in the accident.
In another accident in Cross River State, the FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Abdullahi Hassan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that five people died in a road crash that involved a truck loaded with cement and a Toyota picnic.
Hassan said that the accident occurred at Biase Local Government Area in the early hours of Tuesday.
“Investigation is ongoing to ascertain the actual cause of the crash. Seven people were involved and five persons lost their lives,” he said.