The Edo State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has confirmed that about 53 persons were burnt to death in a motor crash that occurred on Thursday evening at Abudu town along Benin-Agbor-Onitsha express road of the state.

Speaking to newsmen on Friday morning, the Spokesman of the ‎State Sector Command, George Otoaviokhai, said five persons also sustained varying degrees of injuries, making an estimated 58 persons involved in the accident.

According to him, eight vehicles, namely, two buses, one Sienna, one Dyna truck, one tanker, one Ford bus, one Toyota Corooolla and one motorcycle, were involved in the accident, which he attributed the likely cause to brake failure.

    He said: “All the in the two buses, Sienna and Corolla burnt to ashes and one dead person taken to mortuary.”

The FRSC Spokesman added that all the vehicles involved have been evacuated from the highway, while health officers from Orhiomwon Local Government Council were invited to give mass burial to the dead.

An eyewitness said security agents and officials of FRSC watched helplessly as the victims were burnt to death as there was no fire service station at Abudu town, headquarters of Orhiomwon local government area.