Six Dead, 12 Injured in Bus–Truck Collision on Makurdi–Otukpo Highway
No fewer than six passengers have been confirmed dead and 12 others injured following a road accident along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in Benue State.
The crash involved an 18-seater passenger bus belonging to Benue Links Nigeria Limited and a truck reportedly owned by China Harbour Engineering Company.
Witnesses said the accident occurred on Friday at about 4 p.m. near the abandoned Benue Burnt Bricks factory, close to Otukpo.
According to eyewitness accounts, the bus was conveying passengers from Makurdi to Otukpo and had almost reached its destination when the truck collided with it less than three kilometres from the town.
Five passengers reportedly died instantly at the scene, while another victim later died at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo, where the injured passengers were taken for treatment.
One of the witnesses said the accident occurred on a dusty section of the road undergoing construction as part of the dualisation of the Makurdi–Enugu highway, which reduced visibility for drivers.
“It is unfortunate that the passengers were already close to Otukpo town when the truck rammed into the bus on the dusty road caused by the ongoing construction work,” the witness said, adding that poor visibility may have prevented the truck driver from noticing the approaching vehicle.
The survivors of the crash, including a seven-month-old infant, sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the hospital for medical attention.
Witnesses also recalled that another accident occurred along the same highway on February 28 at Ahumbe village, where a passenger vehicle collided head-on with a truck linked to China Harbour Engineering Construction Company, leaving four people injured.
Confirming the latest incident, the Public Relations Officer of Benue Links Nigeria Limited, Johnson Ehi, said the company had taken responsibility for the medical treatment of the injured passengers.
He stated that the six fatalities comprised five men and one woman.
“The bus was an 18-seater travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo when the truck ran into it. The remaining 12 passengers are responding to treatment, and the company has taken over their medical bills,” he said.
Efforts to obtain a response from the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as of the time the report was filed.
