No fewer than two persons were feared dead and several others injured in a multiple road crash that occurred at Lambata in Gurara local government area of Niger State.
The accident, involving two tankers, a Mazda 323 and a BM100 18-Seater Boxer car, occurred at about 3:50pm on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses said two of the tankers, a Diesel Tanker with number plate GWU154XA and an IVECO tanker with registration number ABE338XA crashed around Bonu village along Lambata-Minna road and immediately went caught fire, which affected the Mazda and Boxer boxers, as well as a motorcycle.
A resident in the area, Abdul Sani told Channels Television via telephone that one of the tankers had wanted to overtake the other and, in the process, tumbled.
He said 17 persons, made up of 15 males and two females, were involved in the accident, but that only two persons got burnt in the crash beyond recognition, while at least seven others sustained various degrees of injuries.
Sani further said men of the fire service were able to put off the fire after battling it for several hours, while those who sustained injuries were taken to the Federal Medical Centre Gawu Babangida in Gurara local government for treatment.
As at the time of filing the report, the Federal Road Safety Corps in Niger State was yet to issue any formal statement on the crash.
Effort to get the Sector Commander, Mr Joel Dagwa and the Public Relations Officer, Mr Raji Egigogo proved abortive as their numbers could not be reached.
Meanwhile, spokesman to the Chairman of Gurara Local Government, Halilu Bwaje, confirmed the incident in a statement obtained by Channels Television.
“Those that sustained series of injuries have been taken to the Hospital by the Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps and now they are responding to treatment at the FMC Gawu Babangida,” the statement said.
The Niger State Government, through a statement issued on Tuesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, had announced the setting up of a Task Force to look into the movement of trailers crossing nooks and crannies of the state
