Seven die as truck runs over tricycles conveying school children

At least seven persons were pronounced dead on Monday in a road crash involving a fuel tanker and two tricycles on the Calabar-Itu Expressway in Akwa Ibom State.

Many more sustained injuries, The Nation reported.

The accident happened at a failed portion of the road in the Ntak Inyang area of Itu local council area.

The bad stretch has been under repairs since it was cut off by a landslide.

It was gathered from some eyewitnesses that the tricycles were conveying school children and some passengers before the unfortunate circumstance occurred.

According to them the driver and the passengers including school children died after the tank ran over the tricycle.

The dual carriage way was under repairs, forcing all motorists to ply just one lane of the highway. Meanwhile, the Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in the state, Mr. Oga Ochi confirmed the accident.

Ochi, however, said only 6 persons were killed in the accident. He said his men were immediately dispatched to the scene after receiving information about the crash.

He said the accident occurred because the truck was on excessive speed when it rammed into the tricycles.

He added that investigation into the incident was ongoing.