No fewer than ?13 police recruits were burnt to death while six others were critically injured in an auto accident on ?Sunday in Omu-Aran, Kwara.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the newly posted ?recruits were said to be on their way ?to Nassarawa State when the accident occurred at about ?10 a.m.
The accident occurred? on the ?Omu-Aran-Ilofa road at ?the same spot where a commercial motorcyclist? died ?in an auto accident in? December 2012.
NAN reports that an unspecified number of women were among? the dead in the accident involving an 18-seater bus and a Mercedes Benz 190 model.
Most ?of the occupants of the bus, ?which took off from Ilorin, ?were said to be of Kwara origin and ?had just finished their police training.
NAN gathered that they? were on an exchange posting to Nassarawa State.
According to an eye witness, the Mercedes Benz car marked AC 345 DKA was heading toward Omu-Aran before? it had an head-on collision with the bus close to ?the Federal Government College.
The number plate of the bus? was squeezed to pulp following the impact of the accident ?making identification impossible.
Another eyewitness and auto mechanic, Mr Adekunle Azeez, ?told NAN that the driver of the ?car, who was ?critically injured, had ?lost grip of the steering wheel and rammed? into the bus.
“The car ?was on top speed on its way toward Omu-Aran and I think the driver lost grip of the steering wheel ?and swerved ?before ramming into the bus “The bus immediately caught fire,” he said.
The 13 corpses, which were burnt beyond recognition, had ?been deposited at the morgue by officials ?of the FRSC.
Those who sustained? injuries were taken ?to the Omu-Aran General Hospital for treatment.
The Divisional Police Officer in? Omu-Aran, Mr Rasak Adebayo, confirmed the incident and said his command had started investigations. (NAN)