Six persons have been confirmed dead as a tanker laden with fuel ran into two tricycles at Ntak Inyang Village, some few kilometres to Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
It was gathered that the truck immediately caught fire and burnt down the two tricycles and their passengers.
Though the accident is still under investigation, our correspondent reports that the accident occurred in the early hours of Monday along the side of a road that is under rehabilitation by the state government.
A source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the congestion on the free lane compounded the traffic leading to the accident.
“The truck rammed into the approaching tricycle from the opposite direction resulting in the accident,” the source said.
Confirming the accident, State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Ogah Ochi, said a preliminary investigation conducted by the officers of the corps indicated that two trucks were involved in the accident.
He added that the second truck that caused the accident ran away.
“Actually six people died. One female and five males. A detailed investigation will come out by tomorrow. Our investigators have gone there and the preliminary report they have given confirms that two trucks were actually involved in the crash, but one escaped.
“The truck that actually caused the accident ran away. The one that got burnt was trying to veer off from the truck that was overtaking which caused it to ram into two tricycles,” Ochi said.
