ABUJA, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- A total of 16 people died and five others sustained injuries in the early hours of Tuesday following a road accident in the Lagos state, southwest Nigeria, the traffic police said.
Olabisi Sonusi, a spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said in a statement that 23 people were involved in the fatal accident at about 3 a.m., local time, Tuesday, when a fully-loaded commuter bus collided head-on with an articulated truck. Both vehicles burst into flames on a road in the Epe area of the state.
Sonusi said 16 people were recovered dead, and five others were injured and taken to the hospital by the FRSC rescue team, while two persons escaped unhurt.
She blamed the incident on impaired visibility in the early hours of the day and reckless driving, saying the traffic police had launched a further investigation into the cause of the incident.
The FRSC spokesperson warned motorists against violating road safety guidelines and other road users, particularly commuters, to always caution commercial vehicle drivers against overspeeding.
Deadly road accidents are frequently reported in Nigeria, often caused by overloading, bad road conditions, and reckless driving. ■