Tuesday, December 22, 2009

NIGERIA RUNAWAY TRUCK KILLS NEAR 100

TRAILER CARRYING FERTILIZERS LOST CONTROL
AND RAN INTO A MARKET, KILLING MORE THAN 90
NIGERIA (BBC News) - Up to 100 people have been killed after a runaway truck ploughed into a crowded market in Nigeria. Kogi state police said the lorry hurtled down a hill at speed, smashing cars and motorcycles then crashing into the market, injuring up to 40 people. Eyewitnesses told that the market in Allo village in the Dekina area was filled to capacity when it was rammed by the lorry. A number of vehicles caught fire, burning people beyond recognition. Authorities informed that the accident was as a result of reckless driving on the part of the driver and brake failure. Governor Ibrahim Idris explained that the state government would take full responsibity for the medical bills of the 38 injured persons, stressing that the state government will also foot the burial expenses of those killed during the accident.

"I am very shocked that this accident is happening just towards the end of the year, this is my saddest day on earth to see my people that elected me in office to provide the much-needed dividend of democracy to them, been killed just like that as a result of a careless driver", Governor Idris
said. He then appealed to the officers to do more by constantly carrying out proper test on both the drivers and their vehicles before leaving their parks and also the road, to reduce some of these accidents. Traffic accidents are common in Nigeria because vehicles and roads are badly maintained. Last week, more than 20 people burned to death when a bus carrying mourners to a funeral collided with a truck on a road in Oyo state, south-west Nigeria.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?
Citraketu, a great devotee of the Lord Vishnu, praised the Lord: “Oh Lord, I don't want anything in this world. I don't want the throne of Indra or throne of Brahma. I don't want to be the master or the ruler of the whole world. I don't want even freedom from birth and death.” … “I want you. You are my wealth. And if you bless me I will be happy.” … Likewise, here in this world we are suffering. Always suffering, suffering, suffering. Nobody can say that I am not suffering. Suffering 1%, 200% and 1000%. There is no limit in suffering. Only we forget that suffering when the reaction comes and for a second we feel happy. But again we have to be dissatisfied. So, real satisfaction comes to us, real happiness comes to us through the association of a sadhu.

Śrīla Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Mahārāj:
“Lecture in Tivoli, Slovenia, on June,24 1999”
Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Mission.

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