From Ben Dunno, Warri

Over a dozen students of Army Day Secondary School, Effurun, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state, were, yesterday, crushed to death by a petroleum tanker, close to their school gate, along the NPA-DSC expressway.

Eyewitness account revealed that the incident which occurred at about 3pm saw the driver of the tanker laden with petroleum products, who was on top speed along the highway, suddenly losing control due to brake failure, and had to run over some students who were walking home after school hours.

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It was learnt that the tanker crushed everything on its way, including the students who usually trekked home in groups, before it finally hit the wall and fell on one of its sides.

While about eight lifeless bodies were seen along the expressway, some of the students who were critically wounded were rushed to the nearby Army and Navy hospitals close to the scene of the accident.

It was, however, not yet certain how many bodies were trapped under the fallen tanker, as efforts were still being made to lift the fallen tanker. In a swift response to the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ekpan Police station, CSP Bulus Musa, immediately dispatched a rescue team to the scene, in order to restore normalcy.