Several people were feared dead on Friday night after a truck lost control and collided with them near the Chisco Park Junction in the Amichi, Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
According to reports, the fatal accident occurred at 9:30 p.m., when the driver of the truck failed to stop and collided with pedestrians on the roadside, killing many people.
The incident, which was also filmed by Amichi City’s CCTV system, showed some of the crash victims lying on the ground, as some neighbours and other road users bemoaned the situation and offered rescue assistance to the victims.
Some eyewitnesses near the scene told our correspondent that the tragedy happened quickly because the victims, who were primarily going about their nightly business, did not notice the coming truck.
According to one of the eyewitnesses, who gave his name simply as Uche, “The crash, which occurred at about 9:30pm yesterday (Friday), came as a shock given the short period within which everything happened.
“The people were doing their usual night business and engaging in their usual activities while some passengers were waiting to board vehicles when the trailer uncontrollably rammed into them, knocking many down, including motorcyclists, a little girl, bystanders, and some petty traders.
“Some road users who saw the trailer on time as it was dangerously approaching the area were able to escape the tragedy. Several persons who were knocked were mostly those waiting to board vehicles and some people doing business near the park.
“The bodies of the victims lay on the ground before the rescue operations from pedestrians and the arrival of security operatives.”
When contacted on Saturday, Margaret Onabe, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, Anambra sector, confirmed the incident but was unable to provide an exact casualty figure.
“Yes, we received the accident report, but information about the crash and the casualty rate is still being gathered; we will issue a statement soon,” Onabe said.
