It was another dark day in the ancient town of Ankpa, Kogi State when a truck loaded with petrol rammed into the midst of people- leaving two of them dead. The tragic incident occurred recently along Otukpo road in Ankpa.
It was gathered by our correspondent that the ill-fated truck had a brake failure and consequently lost control before killing its victims.
According to an eye witness, the fuel tanker was coming towards Ankpa from Otukpo. It was revealed that it had successfully descended the sloppy terrain on the famous Mabolo River, but lost control as a result of brake failure. It eventually skidded into a deep gully around the Assemblies of God Church. The truck was said to have gone up in flame as soon as it happened.
The deceased, it was learnt were cooling off under a shade around the scene of the incident, they did not have the premonition that death was lurking at the corner.
Incidences of this nature are not strange to Ankpa residents as most times innocent citizens have had their lives cut down in their prime as a result of frequent cases of carnage.
Not quite long after this incident, another tragic incident also occurred although this time, no life was lost. This was when another fuel tanker with the Reg.no. KLD/279XA Taraba veered off the road into a gully around the same spot.
The frequent incidence of fuel tanker crashes in the area has heightened the fear of the residents. Some of those who spoke to The Graphic called for proactive measures to forestall reoccurrence.
A resident who pleaded anonymity has appealed for the timely intervention of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to deploy its officers to the area to prevent heavy duty vehicles from passing through the heart of the town where it is always prone to accident.
Source: The Graphic
