A mother and her child died on the spot, and others were hospitalised after a trailer lost control and rammed into a commercial vehicle at the Ulasi River Bridge, Okija Junction, in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
According to City Round, the tragedy occurred late Thursday when the driver of the caravan failed to brake and collided with the Toyota Hiace bus on the bridge, killing many people.
According to eyewitnesses and locals near the scene, the vehicle, which was heading from Upper Iweka to Owerri, was halted by some touts who were allegedly collecting income when the trailer’s brakes failed and it collided with the car behind.
A video of the accident, which spread on social media, showed the damaged vehicle on the road, with passers-by and other pedestrians frantically attempting to rescue the victims.
An eyewitness who gave his name as Ibeabuchi Edeoga told City Round that the accident involved a Toyota Hiace and a trailer truck.
He said, “The accident was caused by touts who blocked the road and were collecting revenue from commercial drivers. But unfortunately, a trailer truck that was speeding failed to brake and ran over the bus, killing two people, a woman and her child, instantly.
“Many passengers involved in the accident were rushed to a nearby hospital. But all of the victims were unconscious when they were taken to the hospital. But as of this morning, some victims have died.”
Another eyewitness, Uchenna Odinaka, stated, “I was heading home when the incident happened. It could have been more disastrous, but the railings by the bridge stopped the truck from going further and hitting other vehicles and road users.
“It happened during the rush hours when everyone was trying to get home. The trailer driver and the motor boy were rescued. Two people died on the spot, while several others who were unconscious were rushed to a nearby hospital.”
When contacted about the accident on Friday, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, Anambra sector, Margaret Onabe, confirmed the incident but could not, however, give the actual casualty figure.
“Yes, we received the report of the accident, but we are still investigating the cause of the crash and will issue a statement with information soon.”
