No fewer than 10 pupils of Army Day Primary School, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state, were on Friday crushed to death by a petrol tanker close to their school gate along the NPA-DSC Expressway,
According to an eyewitness, revealed to Nigerian Observer Newspaper that the incident occurred at about 3pm , the driver of the petroleum tanker which was loaded with product, was on top speed along the high way when he suddenly lost control due to break failure and crashed in to some pupils who had closed from school and were on their way home.
While about eight (8) lifeless bodies were seen along the Expressway, some of the students who were critically wounded were either rushed to the nearby Army and Navy hospital close to the scene of the accident.
Although, as at press time actual number of the dead was not yet certain, but efforts were on to ascertain the number of bodies trapped beneath the tanker which fell down on its side .
In his response on the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ekpan Police station, CSP Bulus Musa, had to immediately dispatch a rescue team to the scene in order to restore normalcy.
DPO had to order the evacuation of the dead students to nearby mortuary while efforts to salvage the tanker continued as part of an effort to rescue victims.
Confirming the incident in a telephone conversation the Ag. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Edafe Bright, said so far the police can only confirmed that six students died and 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