No fever than eleven persons on Thursday lost their lives while eight others sustained injuries in an accident that occurred on the Edo state section of the Benin-Lagos expressway.

The accident, It was gathered, happened at about 11 am at the Ovia River which is notorious for accidents due to a failed section of the road by the Ovia River bridge.

It was gathered that the accident happened when a Dangote truck heading towards Benin from Lagos on top speed rammed into an oncoming 18-seater bus that slowed down at the bad portion of the Ovia, killing 11 persons on the spot and injuring several others.

An eyewitness said the Toyota Hiace bus going to the East en route Edo state slowed down at the bad portion of the Ovia river bridge but a Dangote truck that was on top speed rammed into the bus, killing the passengers.

The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Paul Okpe who confirmed the accident, said it involved an articulated truck and a Toyota Hiace bus.

Okpe who attributed the accident to reckless driving, said 11 persons died while eight others sustained various degrees of injuries in the accident.

According to him, the driver of the Toyota bus slowed down at the bad section of the Ovia River and in the process the truck on top speed rammed into the bus, killing the victims and injuring others.

He said the injured victims were taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, for treatment while the corpses of the dead were deposited at the morgue.

He however advised drivers to imbibe the culture of safe driving and always be at alert while driving. (Daily Independent)