Driver, other burnt to death in Okpaka road mishap

A driver and a passenger were burnt to death after their vehicle hit a concrete road barricade on the Abuja-Lokoja road and burst into flames.Witnesses said the accident, which involved a J5 Peugeot bus with registration number XC 208MKR, occurred at Okpaka village at about 12:37a.m., on Thursday.

A witness, who would not like to be named, said the driver rammed into the barricade which caused the vehicle, loaded with tomatoes, to summersault before it fell into a ditch and burst into flames.“The driver did not know that there was a road diversion, until he hit a barricade. After the vehicle fell into a ditch it caught fire,” he said.

He said the driver and the passenger were burntbeyond recognition.He said their remains were later removed by Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and taken to the Federal Medical Centre at Lokoja.The Koton-Karfe unit commander of the FRSC, Ahmed Daura, could, however, not be reached for comments.

In a related development, three persons have sustained injures in a motor accident that occurred on Friday evening near Shada village, on the Abuja-Lokoja road.City News learnt that the accident happened at about 5:25p.m. and involved an unmarked Golf car.It was gathered that the driver, who was on top speed, veered off the road after one of the tyres bust.Witnesses said the car crashed into a ditch and that the injured driver and passengers were taken to Kwali General Hospital for treatment.