Barely 72 hours after a haulage truck rammed into a family car killing husband, wife, and first son and leaving three other children severely injured in Awka, Anambra State, a bus on Wednesday crushed three children of same parents who were returning from school.
The heartbreaking incident which took place at Nnokwa, Idemili south local government area of the state threw the entire town into mourning as people especially mothers and children wailed uncontrollably at the sight of blood and lifeless bodies of the children.
The victims, Ukamaka, Ogochukwu and Ezinne with their brother Chimezie who was the only one that survived the accident were said be returning from school, St. Stephen’s Nursery and Primary School, Nnokwa between 1.30 and 2pm on Wednesday when they met their end in the unfortunate accident.
Said to be children of Mr. and Mrs. Nweke who hail from Kpagbe, Benue State but resident in Nnokwa. Ukamaka who was a Primary 5 pupil was leading home the other three, Ogochukwu, Primary 2; Chimezie, Primary 1 and Ezinne, Pre-Nursery, and they had crossed the major road, Adazi – Nnewi road and were entering the pathway to their home when the bus belonging to St. John’s Institute of Vocational Studies, Neni coming from Adazi axis skidded off the road and crushed them.
According to an eyewitness, Ukamaka died on the spot; Ogochukwu, male, died on the way to Iyielu Hospital and Ezinne died at a nearby Chinoso Hospital while Chimezie was being treated at Iyielu Hospital, Ogidi before he was discharged on Thursday evening against medical advice.
Reacting to the incident, the Vicar of St. Stephen Anglican Church, Nnokwa and Chairman of St. Stephen’s Nursery, Primary and Secondary Schools, Rev. Canon Charles Oraelosi described it as a tragedy and prayed that God would see the grieving parents through.
He said, “I feel so bad, it is a tragic occurrence. The pupils were going home when they came in contact with this sad incident that took away the lives of three of them from the same family. Four of them were going home from school, one is Primary 5, the oldest, she was taking them back home, I don’t know what happened to that bus driver, he suddenly crushed the children .
One of them died on the spot, the other three were rushed to the hospital. Two died remaining one who is recuperating in the hospital.
“I have seen their father, he is with the child at the hospital at Iyielu, their mother is still at large and I tell you while I used that word. The reason is that they are still hiding the sad news from her that three of her children died just like that, you know how you feel when your children go to school and didn’t come back, so they are still hiding the sad news from her. Their father is handling the matter as a man, I don’t know but it is really a very sad incident.”
Asked if the school does not have arrangement of moving the children across the major road, Canon Oraelosi said, “There is a stop sign at the place called Centre along that road, and they had crossed the road, it was not a problem of crossing the road. They had crossed the road and were entering the path that leads to their house when the reckless driver hit them.”
The driver, he said had reported himself to the police and was in police custody as the angry mob would have descended on him.
When Saturday Sun visited Iyielu Hospital, Ogidi yesterday, the graduate nurse in charge of Children’s unit said the boy Chimezie whose age she gave as seven, was discharged on Thursday against medical advice.
She said the Priests from St John’s Catholic Church Neni, owners of the bus that had the accident came with the father of the child and asked that he be discharged for them to take him to their own hospital to continue the treatment.
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