The acting Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dauda Biu, has again cautioned road users to avoid excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking.
He also advised commuters to avoid night trips due to the hazards associated with dark hours.
The warning came following the unfortunate fatal crash that claimed 19 lives and injured eight persons in the early hours of Sunday along the Gwagwalada-Lokoja Highway, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In a statement signed by the Corps Spokesperson, Bisi Kazeem, Sunday, the accident which involved two Toyota Hiace Buses with registration numbers MUB-30 LG, DWR-985XJ, and a Citroen trailer, had a total of 31 people comprising 11 males, one female, and 19 others, whose gender could not be ascertained due to the fire intensity.
Out of the 31 victims, eight people comprising seven males and one female sustained various degrees of injuries, while 19 others were burnt beyond recognition.
The statement said, “the Toyota Hiace Bus with REG NO: MUB- 30 LG, which was on a high speed, crashed into a Citroen trailer on motion and immediately went into flames, thereby, burning the entire occupants of the vehicle to death.
“In the same vein, the second bus also crashed into the already crashed bus from behind and caught fire.
“One of the buses was said to have transited all the way from Takai, Kano State, heading to Benin, Edo State. While the Citroen trailer loaded with chicken feed from Zaria, Kaduna State, was on its way to deliver the commodities in Akwa Ibom State.
“The rescue operation was jointly carried out by the combined teams of Zebra 6 Yangoji and patrol team of the Nigeria Police Force.
The injured victims were rescued and taken to Rhema hospital, Kwali, while one of the identified male corpses was deposited at Kwali General Hospital Mortuary.
“However, the 19 corpses burnt beyond recognition, which were trapped in the vehicle, have been taken by rescue operatives of Zebra 6 Yangoji.”
The acting Corps Marshal emphasised that the Corps would step up sensitisation for the motoring public and enhance its patrol activities to deter traffic violators. (Punch)