Nine wedding guests die in auto crash in Edo

At least nine wedding guests have died after a truck collided with a bus at Ekpon Junction in Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.

The Guardian gathered yesterday that the crash happened at the weekend when the guests were on their way from Benin City to Ewatto in Esan South-East Local Government Area for the wedding ceremony.

It was gathered that out of the 10 passengers in the commercial bus, only one person survived.

The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Henry Benamaisia, said five persons died instantly while three others in critical condition were rushed to the hospital.
“Five died on the spot, while three were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. I will still need to get an update from the hospital on the state of those that were taken there, but I can confirm that five died instantly. I will have to reconfirm the latest position from the hospital and get back to you,” Benamaisia said.

However, an eyewitness, Funsho Alegbe, said out of the 10 passengers in the bus, only one person, identified as ‘DJ Nasco,’ survived.

He said the survivor was rushed to the intensive care unit of Shillo Hospital, Ewohimi, while the bodies of the nine persons who died at the scene had been deposited in the mortuary.

He said: “The guests were on their way to the wedding venue when the fatal accident happened. The deaths destabilised the wedding event as the couple who were already on the dancing floor heard the cry and wailing of other guests at the wedding venue when the news of the accident broke out. The wedding reception ended abruptly, but not without the traditional dowry for the bride’s family.”

Alegbe said the truck driver escaped from the accident scene to avoid being lynched, but irate youths in the area set the truck ablaze.