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By Evelyn Usman & Emma Una, LAGOS

Twenty-two persons were crushed to death, yesterday, in two separate auto crashes in Lagos and Cross River states.

Sixteen travellers perished in an auto crash that occurred in the early hours of yesterday, in Alaro city, Epe area of Lagos.

The travellers numbering 25, all men, were passengers in a white Hummer bus with number plate, KTN 262 YJ, which arrived in Lagos at about 3 am. Its destination could not be ascertained at press time.

The bus reportedly had a head-on collision with an articulated truck resulting in an inferno. The tragic incident was attributed to impaired visibility and reckless driving within the construction corridor.

Nine out of the 16 passengers that lost their lives were burnt beyond recognition. Five others sustained injuries, while the other two were rescued by officials of the Lagos Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC without injury.

The Lagos Sector Command Public Education Officer, Route Commander Olabisi Sanusi, who confirmed the incident, said: “The auto crash occurred at about 3 am today (Tuesday). FRSC operatives and other emergency management agencies were on ground to ensure prompt recovery and evacuation of all crashed vehicles.

“The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos Sector Command Corps, Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide, therefore, advised motorists to always avoid night journey because of impaired visibility at that hour.

However, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said only five persons lost their lives in the crash.

He explained that “upon arrival of the LASEMA Response Team, LRT Whale’s Squad at Epe at the incident scene, it was revealed that a truck conveying sand had a head-on collision with a Hummer commuter bus.

“Furthermore, the two vehicles got burnt as a result of the impact of the collision, unfortunately, five adult males (all from Katsina State) were burnt beyond recognition. The commodities were bagged and handed over to their relatives.”

Truck crushes bus conveying 6 persons in C-River

In a related development, a truck laden with cement also crushed a Toyota Sienna bus along the Calabar-Ikom highway in Cross River State killing six passengers.

It was gathered that the truck rammed into the Sienna bus heading in an opposite direction after veering off its lane.

An eyewitness said the bus was completely flattened with its six occupants, five males and a female, confirmed dead.

The eyewitness, Lekam, gave the name of the Sienna driver as Bassey Loways, who plied the Ekori-Calabar route daily.

“The driver is well-known. He takes passengers from Ekori in Yakkur Local Government Area daily to Calabar with the Sienna bus.”

He said the accident occurred at Ibiae in Biase Local Government Area on the stretch already constructed by the company handling the rehabilitation of the Iyamoyong-Odukpani highway.

“That portion of the road is good except for a culvert, which is yet to be properly fixed by the construction company handling the rehabilitation of the road, so it’s difficult to tell why the truck left its lane to the other lane.”

The Cross River State Sector Commander, Federal Roads Safety Corps, Mr Abdulahi Hassan, who confirmed the incident, said the driver of the bus also died in the accident