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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
A man and his son were burnt to death on Sunday when a commercial tricycle conveying their family caught fire following a collision with a bus at Sabon Barki, in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The victims were reportedly burnt beyond recognition in the inferno, while the man’s wife sustained a broken leg. Their other child and the tricycle rider also sustained injuries. The three survivors were rushed to hospital for treatment. The family was returning from church at about 4:20 p.m. when the accident occurred.
The tricycle was reportedly hit by a bus, causing it to somersault before bursting into flames.
A witness, Kefas Gyang, who arrived at the scene shortly after the crash, said he was returning from work when he noticed people crying and moved closer to find out what had happened.
He said he saw people struggling to rescue the victims from the burning tricycle, but the intensity of the fire made it difficult to save those trapped inside.
“It was then that I saw people trying to rescue the victims, but the fire was too much for us to handle. It was beyond our strength, and we could not do much to rescue them from the burning tricycle. I didn’t witness the actual collision, but the man and his son were burnt beyond recognition in the inferno,” Gyang said.
He added that the driver of the bus reportedly fled the scene after the accident.
Efforts to reach the Plateau State Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Yakubu Longsan, for comment were unsuccessful, as his telephone line was unavailable.
