Tragedy as cement truck crushes 7 to death in Benue

A somber mood has settled over parts of Benue State following a devastating accident that occurred over the weekend on the Katsina-Ala to Zaki Biam road.

A heavily loaded truck, transporting approximately 600 bags of cement, was involved in a lone crash that claimed the lives of at least seven people.

The accident, which took place on Saturday, also left several others injured—some critically. Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the truck had around 15 passengers onboard at the time of the incident.

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He said, “The cement truck with about 600 bags of cement was on top speed while heading towards Zaki Biam when the driver hit a pothole and lost control. The vehicle tumbled over, leaving seven persons dead and some others injured.

“In fact it was the quick intervention of the locals that save the lives of six of the occupants of the truck who sustained injuries, though two others escaped unhurt.”

Confirming the accident, Steve Ayodele, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said 15 people were involved in the accident.

He said: “The accident happened along Katsina Ala-Zaki Biam road around 11am on Saturday and it involved 15 people, seven were killed, six injured and two without injury.”

He also confirmed that the debris of the ill-fated truck had been removed from the road to allow for the free flow of traffic.