Eight passengers were killed in a tragic road accident at Agbede community along the Benin-Auchi road in Edo State, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has reported. The incident occurred on Sunday, March 9, when a truck descending Ewu Hill towards Auchi suffered brake failure and crashed into several vehicles stuck in traffic. The impact caused a fire, which engulfed the vehicles, leading to multiple fatalities.
The crash involved four vehicles, including two tankers carrying diesel and petroleum products. According to eyewitnesses, one of the tankers lost its brakes, causing it to crash into other vehicles and ignite the fire.
Two people died at the scene, and four others were rushed to the hospital. After the fire was extinguished, emergency responders recovered seven bodies, including the two victims who died on Sunday. Tragically, one of the injured victims passed away on Monday morning, bringing the death toll to eight.
Eyewitnesses described how the truck driver and his assistant screamed, “No brake! No brake!” before crashing into the vehicles. The victims, who were caught in traffic, were not involved in any illegal fuel scooping.
FRSC Edo Sector Commander, Mr. Cyril Mathew, praised emergency responders and local residents for their swift actions, which helped prevent more deaths.