FIVE SIBLINGS ROAST IN FATAL ACCIDENT ON ABUJA-LOKOJA HIGHWAY

Two charred bodies of five members of a family-three boys and two girls-who were burnt beyond recognition on Sunday evening in a fatal accident which occurred along the Lokoja-Abuja Expressway have been deposited at the Kwali General Hospital yesterday.
The accident, which took place around 5.30p.m., THISDAY gathered yesterday when the last two were taken to the hospital’s mortuary, happened when a petrol tanker latched on to a Hiace bus conveying the children from an undisclosed destination to Abuja, dragging it over a long distance.
It was also gathered that the bus eventually fell by the side and the tanker fell upon it, exploding into a ball of fire.
For several hours, there was no vehicular movement at some kilometres from the scene of the accident which occurred at Kwaita, a settlement between Abaji and Gwagwalada, an outskirt of Abuja.
It was learnt that while the corpses of three of the children and the driver of the Hiace bus were taken to the hospital on Sunday night, the intensity of the heat made it impossible to extricate the last two from the burnt wreckage until yesterday.
Sources said because of the traffic gridlock which blocked every available space, it was difficult for the fire fighters and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officials to get to the scene on time.
Although the ongoing industrial action by medical doctors in public hospitals made it impossible for relations of the victims to claim the remains, they got a physician in a private hospital to sign the death certificate to enable them collect them.
No one agreed to speak to THISDAY at the hospital but several staff and a morgue attendant confirmed the incident.
Source: Thisday