Ebonyi community loses nine indigenes in auto crash

NINE persons were yesterday confirmed dead following a fatal accident that occurred in Ishiagu-Awgu Expressway, Ivo Local Council of Ebonyi State.

The Ishiagu Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Joseph Abuo, confirmed the incident saying that the auto crash involved an articulated vehicle and an 18-seater bus returning from Enugu. Nine of the passengers survived but the driver of the vehicle was among those that died in the fatal crash.

According to him, three members of a family were among the dead. He added that investigation was still being conducted with a view to ascertaining the actual cause of the accident.

“There is a road crash that claimed several lives and it happened yesterday night. But I cannot confirm to you the number of deaths in the accident; I can only assure you that our men are on the crash scene to control traffic.”

Mr. John Okochi, who was at the scene of the accident, told The Guardian that it happened when articulated vehicle and a bus with 18 passengers on board collided from the opposite directions.

Okochi, whose relative was involved in the crash, said the articulated vehicle with registration number Anambra JJT143XA; coming from Ishiagu had a collision with the 18-Seater bus with registration number Edo SGD541SA returning from Enugu.

He said the driver and eight others died on the spot while the other victims who sustained various degrees of injuries were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

He said all the victims were indigenes of Ishiagu community returning from Enugu in Enugu State.

Okochi, who blamed the incident on poor visibility occasioned by a heavy downpour in the community on the night of the crash, said the entire community had been thrown into mourning.