File photo: An accident scene

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

It was a tragic Sallah eve in Edo State, as 19 persons lost their lives in a accident at Ugoneki village, lovated along Benin-Asaba highway, in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.

The incident occurred at about 6 pm on Thursday, when an 18-seater commercial bus, with registration number ABD 206 XA, said to be heading to Auchi, in the nothern part of the State, had a head-on collision with a truck, marked DRZ 347 XA, laden with goat, and heading to Benin.

Sixteen of the passengers were said to have died at the spot of the incident, three others died at the hospital, while eight other sustained varying degrees of injuries.

A source in the area, who did not want to be named, disclosed that members of a family who were travelling for the Eid-el-Kabir celebration were among the casualties.

The spokesman for the Edo Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. George Otoaviokhai, who confirmed the incident to journalists on Friday, explained that the bus had attempted to overtake another vehicle in front of it when it rammed into the truck on the other lane.

He attributed the accident to dangerous overtaking, adding that the incident was avoidable.

“There was a vehicle in front of the bus; the bus was trying to overtake. That was not even needed. The accident was avoidable,” he said.

The injured and remains of the deceased were said to have been taken to Aigbogun Clinic in Abudu, in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the State.