Abuja-Kaduna road crash: 10 killed, 48 rescued, FRSC moves against trailers conveying people with goods

Abuja-Kaduna road crash: 10 killed, 48 rescued, FRSC moves against trailers conveying people with goods

Ten people have been confirmed dead and 48 others rescued with various injuries in a lone crash on Monday involving a trailer on Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

The Federal Road Safety Corps, which confirmed this on Tuesday, warned drivers of trailers against conveying human beings on top of goods in their vehicles.

Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dauda Ali Biu, sounded the warning and directed all Sector Commanders to immediately strengthen the enforcement with the use of mobile courts in addition to advocacy campaigns nationwide.

The Corps Marshal said the crash, which involved a DAF trailer, occurred as a result of excessive speed, overloading and fatigue.

This made the driver to lose control of the wheels, thereby crashing into a ditch along the route, the FRSC said in a statement.

The statement, signed by the corps Jonas Agwu, Assistant Corps Marshal and Corps Public Education Officer at the FRSC headquarters, Abuja, said the crash occured at exactly 1030HRS and it involved a total of 172 people, all male adults.

“Unfortunately, 10 victims were killed while 48 victims were rescued with different degrees of injuries.

“On the strength of the rising spate of this bad road use behaviour, the Corps Marshal has directed Commanding Officers to commence, with immediate effect, result-oriented patrol operations, as well as organize adequate Mobile Court operations along critical corridors,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the FRSC rescue team had concluded evacuation of the injured victims to Saint Anthony and Umaru Musa Yar Adua hospitals while the dead passengers were deposited at the morgue of the aforementioned hospitals as of the time of this report.

“Efforts are still ongoing by FRSC operatives to follow up on the injured victims in the hospitals to ensure they receive necessary medical attention,” the statement added.