ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REPORT

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

Of the four survivors we interviewed in the hospital, only one of them said he was awake at the time of the accident and he was the one that broke the window glass through which all of them escaped from the bus. They were all at the back seat apart from one person who was at seat number thirty seven. They said that they stopped over once at Gusau to eat and to refill their tank.

According to them it was only one driver that was driving. The informer who was awake at the time of the accident narrated that he was informed by one of the passengers who is now late that the driver fell asleep, thus their bus ran into the stationery tanker.

Another informer from a near by filing station, (Hammer Filling Station) by name Saturday Odafen (43yrs old) phone number 08053162054 married, a security/attendant at the filling station) narrated that the tyre of the tanker burst (evidence by the jerk seen around the scene of collision) around 2000hrs on 14/5/09. He said that the driver and conductor /occupant of the tanker slept inside the tanker when they could not replace the tyre.

He narrated that the tanker occupied almost half of the road. No stop sign were placed on the road. According to him, the tanker driver and his occupant/conductor fled immediately the crash occurred and the tanker carrying diesel with the luxury bus went on flames. He said that the tanker had no plate number. (It is possible that the registration number was written with paint)

According to FRSC rescue team, a total of 43 (forth-three) passengers’ remains were found burnt. The back axle of the tanker got stuck to the luxury bus and was dragged along over some distance, showing that the luxury bus was obviously on top speed.

LANDMARK REPORT

Auchi – Benin Road

Irrua Specialist Hospital Entrance Gate

 73.6m 2.16m 14.3m 14.8m 14.3m

……………………………………………………………………………..

1km referred to Irrua Specialist Entrance Gate

CAUSE OF CRASH

REMOTE CAUSE

LIMITATIONS

The accident investigators were at the scene of the crash a day after the crash (due to distance/logistics). The luxury bus had burnt completed leaving only the strong metal framework.

Worst still, both luxury bus and the tanker had been tampered with. That is they had been removed from the final rest positions making it impossible to know their final rest positions relative to each other thus, affecting their shapes, positions of contact and induced damages.

Pictures were not taken prior to their removal to show their rest positions relative to the road/roadway and relative to each other, neither were measurements taken of their final rest positions relative to each other and to the road.

No road markings were done. Our information are based on observers/informers who might not be without bias.

SUBMISSION

 A fatal accident involving a luxury bus (E. Ekeson) and unidentifiable tanker carrying diesel occurred at about 1km from the entrance gate of Irrua Specialist Hospital at about 0400hrs on 15/5/09. Forty three (43) occupants of the luxury bus were burnt to death including the driver. One passenger had a minor injury and left, four passengers who had different degrees of burns were receiving attention at Irrua Specialist Hospital where they were responding to treatment.

The occupants of the tanker had no injuries and fled the scene of accident. The tanker was abandoned on the road occupying a major part of the road. The luxury bus driver most likely fell asleep. It was possible that he was on top speed.

NOTE

An accident investigation report cannot be said to be very accurate when:

RECOMMENDATIONS

 There is an urgent need to dualize the Benin-Auchi Road

 

Signed:

Dr. Uchanma Josiah (SRC)