Trailer Crashed Into Building, Kills 14 Family MembersIn Benue
An articulated truck with registration, Kaduna, DKA 738 XB in the early hours of Thursday crashed into a residential building in Okete community of Ohimini Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State killing 14 persons.
A source in the area indicated that the initial death toll in the fatal accident rose from nine to 14 after five of the surviving victims, who were rushed to the hospital l, gave up the ghost.
According to him, the accident which occurred at about 5 a.m. when most of the victims were still in bed, also claimed the lives of three Muslims who at the time were observing their early morning prayers by the road side.
He said the truck, which was heading towards Abuja via the Otukpo-Oweto Road, veered off the road after the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle.
He said: “The suspicious is that the brakes of the vehicle failed and the driver lost control and ran into the house where some of the victims were sleeping.
“Six of them were instantly killed in the building the vehicle ran into while three Muslims who were observing their morning prayers by the road side at the time also lost their lives.
“Several persons also sustained injuries and the badly injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment but unfortunately five of them did not survive it. So the number of the dead rose to 14 and we prayer it does not rise beyond that.
“When the incident happened the people of the community who were woken from sleep my the loud bang managed to rescued who they could, some of who were trapped under the truck maybe that is why the death toll is not higher than what we have. It is a sad day for the people.
“And as we speak nobody knows the whereabout of the driver of the truck and his assistant. But we hope the Police would track them.”
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent, CSP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the accident said it happened in the early hours of Thursday.
She said the Command had commenced investigation into the cause of the ghastly accident.
