*Truck driver escapes from scene

Nine persons died on Friday in Asaba, Delta state, when the bus in which they were travelling was run over by a Dangote truck laden with cement.

The accident  occurred on the Benin-Asaba highway.

According to the sector commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the state, Mr Rindom Kumven,  the speeding truck  coming from Benin,  crushed three  other vehicles  in front of NNPC Mega Filling Station, close to Asaba International Airport.

They were a Gulf car, Mercedes truck carrying blocks, and an 18-seater bus. The three vehicles, which  were on  the opposite lane  caught fire immediately, making rescue efforts difficult.

Kumven said that nine bodies that were burnt beyond recognition had been recovered and deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.

An eye witness, Amos Olayinka, told NAN that immediately after the crash, driver of the Dangote truck escaped into the bush.