A tragic accident occurred in Owerri, on Saturday evening when a trailer lost control and crushed three minibusses, leaving seven persons feared dead.
PUNCH Online gathered that the devastating incident happened around 7 pm at the Imo State University junction.
Eyewitnesses reported that the heavy-duty truck, which was driving against traffic, hit about 20 persons before ramming into three minibusses, each carrying nine passengers, including the drivers.
Emeka, an eyewitness, recounted the harrowing sequence of events: “The buses were hit in quick succession because they were driving close to each other.”
The impact of the collision left a scene of chaos and destruction.
Some of the victims were immediately rushed to the Federal University of Technology Hospital Owerri (FUTHO) for urgent medical attention.
Unfortunately, seven others who were confirmed dead have been deposited at the hospital’s morgue.
As news of the accident spread, a crowd of worried relatives and onlookers besieged FUTHO in search of their loved ones.
The incident also caused a significant gridlock on the busy Okigwe Road, with the affected vehicles blocking a major part of the roadway as people rushed to the scene.
Efforts to reach the police spokesperson, ASP Henry Okoye, for comments were unsuccessful as his telephone line was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
The accident has thrown the community into mourning, highlighting the dire need for stricter traffic regulations and enforcement to prevent such tragedies.
