More than five persons, including students, were crushed to death when a truck conveying sharp sand suffered brake failure in Mpape, a settlement close to the Maitama District of Abuja on Thursday.
The incident, it was gathered, occurred around 4 p.m. before the tricycle, popularly called Keke NAPEP Park along the road that leads to Mpape junction.
Eye witnesses explained that the truck rammed into some tricycles and vehicles, killing at least 5 people, including students in the process.
The driver of the truck was said to have abandoned his vehicle and ran away, for fear of being attacked by angry passersby and witnesses.
“When the incident happened, I was close to the road. It was very damaging. It killed about eight people as I counted. People were saying the trailer brake failed. To me, what caused the incident at first was that one of the truck’s tires burst, which made it lose control.
“Nobody heard the horn from the truck, because sometimes when incidents like this happen, one would hear the horn from afar, then people would stay clear from the road. If the driver had done this, a lot of lives would have been saved.
“More than seven Keke and several cars were affected. About two students in one of the tricycles died instantly,” an eyewitness said.
Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, FCT Command, Chorrie Mutaa said the agency’s rescue team recovered five dead bodies and 10 injured persons.
He added that 13 vehicles, including the truck that caused the accident and a motorcycle, were involved in the accident
