Anthony Iwuoma
Tears flowed like a river in Edo State on Friday when six children of the same parents and nine other persons perished in two separate road accidents.
In one of the accidents, a Mercedes Benz, trying to avoid a pothole crushed six children who were playing football in a compound in Arue, Uromi in Esan North-East Local Government Area.
The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Henry Benamaisia, confirmed the accident in Arue-Uromi, which claimed the lives of six siblings, two boys and four girls, as they were playing in their compound.
Angry residents burnt the Mercedes car and blocked the road but Benamaisia said the police quickly mobilised the community to arrest the situation before it could degenerate.
Throwing light on the second accident, involving four vehicles in the Agbede area of the Benin-Auchi Road, in which nine lives were lost, the FRSC Sector Commander explained:“The accident in Agbede was a multiple one. It involved one tanker carrying petroleum products, a truck, and two vehicles.
“One of the vehicles was a Toyota Sienna. It was caused by brake failure on the part of the tanker and speeding on the part of the other vehicles. Nine persons died instantly.
“The dead bodies were eight males and one female. Those injured have been taken to the hospital, while the debris on the road has been evacuated for traffic flow.”
