Lifestyle

Five pupils killed as truck ploughs into school in South Africa

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Five pupils from Vyfhoek Primary School died after a truck ploughed into their school in Potchefstroom, South Africa. The incident happened at around 2pm on Thursday, August 18.

Spokesperson of the North West Department of Education, Elias Malindi, confirmed the incident on Friday.

“The mini truck is reported to have been traveling from Potchefstroom towards Johannesburg. It capsized after a front tyre burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle,” said Malindi.

“The truck went through the school fence, hitting four pupils and killing them on the spot. Another pupil died in an ambulance at the scene while paramedics were attending to her injuries.” Four other pupils were injured and are being treated in hospital.

Malindi said at the time of the incident, the school had closed for the day and pupils were waiting for transport within the school premises.

North West education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said: “This is the most devastating news to share. Losing five pupils in this manner is not easy to accept, as a parent and as a caretaker to the pupils.

“We plead with the public to treat the matter with sensitivity as parents are trying to come to terms with their loss.” She conveyed her condolences to the bereaved families, the school and extended well wishes to the pupils in hospital.

World News

Saki Youths Burn Cattle-laden Truck Over Killing A Boy.

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SaharaReporters gathered that the incident happened at Challenge junction, along a road under construction in the town.

Youths in Saki, a town in Oyo State, on Monday burnt a truck taking cattle out of Saki, for killing a boy, Ayuba Raji.

SaharaReporters gathered that the incident happened at Challenge junction, along a road under construction in the town.

A resident of the town, Kazeem Adeniyi, told reporters in Ibadan on Tuesday that the ongoing road construction was responsible for the accident.

According to him, motorists are fond of wrong-way driving on the road, accounting for crashes in recent times.

He also blamed the problem on speeding and reckless driving by truck drivers.

Another resident of the town and advocate of Saki Town Development, Mr Adekunle Lawal, popularly known as Saki First, condemned the contractors handling the Saki dual carriageway. 

He blamed the handling of the project for many of the crashes occurring in the area.
He said: “Yesterday, Monday, 11th of January, 2021, around 10pm, an accident occurred at Challenge junction which claimed the life of a boy, Ayuba Raji, who was the younger brother of a popular Yoruba presenter and musician, Monsurat Raji. The boy was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a truck transporting cows out of Saki.

“An angry mob burnt the truck. It was late before Saki First (Lawal) could get in touch with the police to prevent more damage from being done. Speeding and reckless driving are what we know those cow transporters for. It’s now the right time for us to ensure the Federal Road Safety Corps trains people properly on how to drive. We took the step last year but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from going ahead with it.

“We commiserate with the family of the deceased; the contractors need to do something urgently too. That was the second accident in just three months.”

Lifestyle

Truck crushes two dons, five others in Benue

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Lifeless body found in Makurdi drain

A truck has crushed seven persons to death around Gbatse community in Ushongo Council of Benue State.

The Guardian gathered that the accident, which occurred around 5 p.m. at the weekend, killed two lecturers from the University of Mkar, Gboko, as well as two children and three others.

According to witnesses, the accident occurred when a trailer, whose driver was trying to evade a police check, ran into a stationary Toyota Camry car and crushed the seven occupants.

It took the combined effort of the police, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other individuals over five hours to evacuate the bodies trapped in the mangled car under the truck.

The Chairman of Ushongo Council, Asawa Joseph, was said to have cut short his engagement in Makurdi, rushed to the scene and directed that bodies of the victims be deposited at Ostra Gum’s hospital at Ushongo.

From documents recovered from the scene, the two lecturers were identified as Mr. Leva Joshua of the Mass Communication Department and Moses Tarnongo.

Also, a Zenith Bank debit card identified another victim as Adaa I. Blessing.

Sector Commander of FRSC in Benue, Aliyu Baba, confirmed that seven people were killed, one injured and four escaped without physical injury.

Baba, however, blamed the accident on over-speeding on the part of the truck driver.

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has condoled with the bereaved families, particularly the management, staff, and students of the University of Mkar.

He described the incident as devastating and urged relevant agencies to investigate it.
IN another development, a lifeless body of a lady was found in a drain at Calabar Street, Makurdi, yesterday about 7 a.m.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the incident, said the family of the deceased confirmed the corpse to be that of Angbiandoo Gbavaan, who left the house the previous night.

Anene said the corpse had been deposited at Bishop Murray Morgue for autopsy, while the investigation was on to ascertain the cause of her death.

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