Etim Effiong
Seven persons including school children died and many injured when a fuel tanker rammed into two tricycles in Ntak Inyang along Ikot Oku Ikono-Ekim Highway in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
It was gathered that the Akwa Ibom State government is handling repairs of a portion of Ntak Inyang road after landslide had severed the highway.
The Niger Pet Construction firm handling the remedial work had closed one side of the road to traffic forcing vehicles to ply one lane of the highway.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that one of the Keke drivers and the passengers including school children died on the spot.
The state Sector Commander, Oga Ochi, who confirmed the number of casualties from the incident, noted that its officers were immediately dispatched to the scene after receiving information about the crash.
The FRSC sector commander who said the accident occurred because the truck was on excess speed when it rammed into the tricycles, stated that investigation into the incident was still ongoing.