One Feared Dead In Edo APC Convoy Accident

• FRSC Rescues 15 From Burning Vehicle

IT was a sad day for Edo All Progressives Congress (APC) Saturday, as it lost a member while not less than 23 others sustained injuries in an automobile crash.

    The incident happened as one of the vehicles in its convoy, an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus had a head-on collision with a Volkswagen Station wagon vehicle marked Lagos TK 446 KJA, near Okada village in Ovia North East local government council.

   As a result of the incident, the governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who was said to have been preparing to leave his Iyamho village, immediately ordered cancelation of the rallies for the day.

   Deputy governor, Pius Odubu, conveyed the cancellation of the scheduled campaigns, which would have seen the party visiting Egor, Ovia North East and Ovia South West councils.

   An eyewitness said the accident happened at a sharp bend in the narrow road leading to Okada, as the Volkswagen car hit the bus from the sides. The bus reportedly somersaulted several times and fell on two occupants who had been thrown out of the window.

   It took the combined efforts of others in the convoy to lift the bus from the victims. One of them, however, was said to have died on the spot while the second and other seriously injured occupants of the two vehicles were rushed to a private hospital in Okada and Benin City.

    The Volkswagen, incidentally, was branded with the insignia of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Ovia Federal Constituency.

   Odubu who later visited the victims in various hospitals announced that the state government and the local government would take care of the hospital bills of all the victims.

    “It is a very sad moment for us, losing one of our members and about 11 of them are in the hospital. We are supposed to have rallies at Egor and Ovia, but when this incident happened, the Comrade Governor called that the rallies be cancelled in honour of the victims. We are praying for others who are still in the hospital receiving treatment. For now, we have suspended our campaigns,” Odubu said.   

   Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) zone RS5 in Benin, yesterday, said it rescued 18 persons from the scene of a multiple accident on Friday at Ewu, near Irrua in Edo. 

   The Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO), RS5, Charles Akpabio, who confirmed the accident to journalists, said 18 of the 19 passengers on board were injured while one died on the spot.

Akpabio, whose command comprises Edo, Delta and Anambra state Commands, said the vehicles involved were Toyota Hiace buses belonging to Benin-based private transport companies.

  He attributed the possible cause of the accident to break failure.