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Ben Dunno, Warri
Over a dozen students of Army Day Primary School, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state, were yesterday crushed to death by a petroleum tanker close to their school gate along the NPA-DSC Expresway,
Eyewitness account revealed that the incident which occured at about 3pm saw the driver of the tanker laden with petroleum product who was on top speed along the high way suddenly lost control and due to break failure had to run over some of the pupils who were walking home after school.
It was learnt that the tanker had to crush everything along it’s way including the school children who usually trekked home in group and finally hitting the wall that wedged it to a stop before it fell on one of its side.
While about eight (8) lifeless bodies were seen along the expresway, some of the students who were critically wounded were either rushed to the nearby Army and Navy hospitals close to the scene of the accident.
It is however not yet certain how many bodies were trapped under the fallen tanker as efforts were still being made to shift the tanker from its present position.
In a swift response to the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ekpan Police station, CSP Bulus Musa, had to immediately despatch a rescue team to the scene in order to restore normalcy.
The DPO and his men had to work extra hard to ensure the gridlock that almost resorted into another stampede in the area was ease off by ensuring free vehicular and passengers movement along the highway.
Sources hinted that the DPO had to order the evacuation of the corpses to nearby mortuary while efforts to salvage the tanker continued as part of an effort to rescue more victims or recover dead bodies.
Confirming the incident in a telephone conversation the Ag. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Edafe Bright, said do far the police can only confirmed that six students that died have been taking to mortuary.
He however did not rule out the possibility of having more dead bodies trapped under the fallen tanker.
He said the police still making efforts to track down the driver of the tanker who ran away immediately the incident occurred.
