It was sorrow and a tragedy of sorts as seven persons were reported dead and many others injured when a diesel-laden tanker struggling for the right of way with another vehicle collided just over the Nwaorie River Bridge along Bank Road before Warehouse Roundabout.
According to eye- witnesses, the tragedy involved a truck (tanker) carrying diesel product and two mini commercial buses which also carried passengers (males and females).
The eye- witnesses, who told our reporter, who visited the accident scene that the diesel tanker which was coming from Control Post, met slow traffic within Nworie River and Mbari Kitchen area.
“Because of the traffic slow, the truck moved slowly, suddenly a Prison Warden, who was inside the Prisons Van following behind the tanker, brought out a gun, made to hit the tanker driver, who dulged the hit, waved his steering and ran into the two mini commercial buses, killing six passengers including one of the drivers of the mini bus who also died at the spot. The Prisons Wardens were inpatient to pass the tanker”.
The eye- witnesses frowned that the “victims would have survived the road mishap if there was quick rescue response from the government”, noting the “driver of the truck ran away for his dear life while one of the drivers of the mini bus helplessly died after shouting for help for some hours. The Prisons Wardens wickedly ran away. Phone calls put across to the Fire Service and other Rescue Agencies for rescue was futile”.
Some of the victims were taken to the hospital as one of them was said to have fatally lost his scrotum.
A police officer who spoke at the accident scene, said “holistic investigation would be carried out” to ascertain the cause of the fatality. He blamed government for playing politics with people’s lives.
Regretting the tragedy, SA to the governor on Public Safety, Hon Ugochukwu Nzekwe, said security personnel is on top of the ugly situation, saying the governor was not happy about the ugly development, urging motorists to drive carefully to avoid lost of lives on the road.
By Anthony Ogbekile,
Ikenna Orioha
