35 die in Enugu, Ibadan auto crashes

Four NYSC members among the dead

YESTERDAY was particularly a bad day for many travellers, as auto accidents in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, claimed 35 lives.

Two commercial buses collided on the Enugu-Nsukka-Makurdi Expressway, killing no fewer than 28 persons.

In Ibadan, an early morning accident claimed seven persons, while about 16 were injured.

The Enugu accident, which occurred near Egede Junction on the expressway, has worsened the security situation on that portion of the road, where armed bandits has held sway in the past few months, defying all deft moves by police patrol teams deployed to the area to track them down.

Among the dead were four members of the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC), who had just finished their service year and were returning to their homes.

Their detailed identities could not be ascertained as at press time.



Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) rescue team and some sympathisers at the scene said they discovered four NYSC discharge certificates in some of the travelling bags of the victims.

Only two occupants of the two ill-fated vehicles belonging to Peace Mass Transit Limited and Enugu State Transport Company (ENTRACO) Limited respectively were rescued by officials of the FRSC, who rushed them unconscious to a hospital at Ninth Mile Corner, even as they were unconscious.

The Peace Mass Transit bus had registration number Benue - XB 504 TKP, while the ENTRACO was marked Enugu - XL 812 UWN.

It was gathered that each of the buses had 15 passengers on board at the time of the horrific incident.

Eyewitnesses on the scene said the Peace Mass Transit bus was conveying passengers from Enugu to Nsukka and that its driver was overtaking another vehicle when he collided with the oncoming ENTRACO bus.

FRSC Sector Commander in Delta State, Commander Lukas Ikpi, former Senate spokesman, Ayogu Eze, Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Sunday Onyebuchi and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ambassador Godknows Igali, who were coming from a function met the rescue operation, even as they expressed shock at the grisly incident.

Many passersby, commuters and motorists who beheld mangled human flesh and the smell of human blood wept profusely at the scene.

The corpses recovered were sent to Our Saviour Hospital mortuary at Ninth Mile Corner, near Enugu.

In the Ibadan lone accident, which occurred about 7a.m. at Soka Bus Stop on the Ibadan-Lagos Expressway were children with ages ranging from three to five.

The driver, as well as two other survivors of the mass transit commercial bus with registration number Jigawa XB 633 DUT, were said to be on danger list.

According to a survivor, who identified himself as Ahmadu, the vehicle was coming from Kano and heading to Lagos.

He said while trying to avoid a collision with an articulated vehicle, the bus skidded off the bridge and fell into the ditch beside it.

Ahmadu added that the bus did not stop anywhere from Kano until when the accident occurred.

He could, however, not identify other casualties, as he said the passengers came from different places.

A combined team of officials of the FRSC and men of the Oyo State Police Command were seen rescuing survivors of the of the crash, who were conveyed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

The state FRSC Sector Commander, Godwin Ogagaoghene, confirmed the accident, saying that it was as a result of over-speeding

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Posted: at 21-06-2011 06:39 PM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac

too bad , may their souls rest in peace

Posted: at 21-06-2011 09:29 PM (12 years ago) | Grande Master

Oh my goodness

Posted: at 20-08-2015 07:24 PM (8 years ago) | Hero