Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja
No fewer than eight persons have lost their lives, while seven sustained various degrees of injuries as a trailer loaded with petrol lost control when it had a brake failure at Felele area along Lokoja-Abuja Highway at about 8.30 a. m. and rammed into four tricycles, two motorcycles, three cars and a bus.
An eye witness account, who identified himself as Moses Johnson, told journalists yesterday that the auto crash occurred around 8.45 a. m., adding that the trailer was coming from Lagos with petrol when it lost control as a result of brake failure leading to the killing of innocent citizens who left their houses in search of their daily bread.
THISDAY saw the trailer burning in flame, while the Federal Fire Service drafted to Lokoja for the governorship election were making concerted effort to quench the fire that has taken over one lane of the highway.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were also on ground to evacuate corpses and other victims of the accident that sustained injuries.
One of the FRSC officials, who declined to mention his name while speaking to newsmen, attributed the accident to a brake failure and identified the trailer as a white colour petrol-laden tanker with registration number: JEG141XA, saying 17 people were involved in the accident.
He noted that the victims have been taken to the Federal Medical Centre and Specialist Hospital both in Lokoja.
