17 Perish in Abuja Fatal Road Crash

At least 17 people d!ed on Tuesday in a fatal road crash in Abuja, Naija News learnt.

Reports say that the tragic accident involving a DAF Trailer with registration number BAU 632 XA, and a Toyota Bus with registration number GME 201 ZU, happened this morning along the Kwali-Abaji expressway within the Federal Capital Territory.

Five passengers, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) command in the FCT, survived the accident. Four sustained degrees of injuries while one escaped uninjured.

A statement made available to newsmen by the FRSC spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, disclosed that the road crash was caused by excess speeding and fatigue.

The emergency rescue team of the Corps concluded the rescue of the injured victims to Abaji General Hospital for immediate medical attention, while the remains of the dead victims were deposited at the mortuary.

Speaking on the causes of road accidents, the Acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, maintained that drivers must avoid speeding as crash investigations conducted over the years have attributed major causes of crashes in Nigeria to excessive violation of the legal speed limits on all roads.

Biu also revealed that the fatigue resulted from the driver’s indulgence in a night-long trip without observing adequate rest within the driving period.

The Corps Marshal reiterated that this and many other factors necessitated the directive given by the Federal Government for the Corps to commence sensitisation and, subsequently, enforcement on the compulsory installation of the speed-limiting device.

Biu warned motorists to adhere strictly to road traffic regulations, assuring the public that the Corps will step up formidable operational activities that will bring this menace to an end.