Tragedy struck in Emene, a suburb of Enugu, when a truck transporting laterite lost control and crashed into a mini bus carrying passengers, resulting in three deaths and several injuries.
No fewer than three people were reported to have passed away instantly, and two more were fighting for their lives after suffering severe injuries. The accident also involved a roadside vendor and her daughter.
Additional information was gathered that the driver of the truck stopped to let his passengers off at Orie Emene Junction on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. when it collided with the minibus.
When the disaster occurred, the small bus was traveling from Old Park to Emene and was packed with seven passengers in addition to the driver.
An eyewitness said: “In a chaotic scramble for escape, some passengers leapt from the bus, but three were mercilessly crushed beneath the weight of the truck, while two others sustained serious injuries. They have rushed the survivors to the Annunciation Hospital in Emene.
“We can hardly fathom what happened here yesterday evening. It feels surreal, especially at such a busy junction”.
He continued: “The truck approached the junction from Adoration Road and crossed the railway line before hitting the minibus at the junction. The truck wasn’t speeding, and there was no brake failure. The driver careened into the bus right after crossing the tracks.
“The police have apprehended the truck driver, but I fear they might be swayed by bribes from the construction firm, to let him slip away scot-free. This driver must be rigorously scrutinized and charged with manslaughter or even first-degree murder. Those three lives lost, along with the two still clinging to life, demand justice.”
