A tragic road accident at Ukpo Junction along the Nteje-Awka Road in Anambra State has claimed the lives of eight people and left six others injured, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra Sector Command.
The Sector Commander, Mrs. Joyce Alexander, confirmed the incident to journalists on Monday in Awka.
Alexander stated that the crash, which occurred on Sunday night, involved a Mack tanker without a registration number and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number EKP375XM.
Alexander revealed that preliminary investigations and eyewitness accounts indicated that the bus was en route from Abakaliki to Onitsha when the crash happened.
“The bus was speeding and overtook dangerously before colliding with the tanker, which was heading towards Awka on a single carriageway,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted Alexander as saying.
The head-on collision led to the death of eight individuals, four males and four females, while six others sustained varying degrees of injury, including two males and four females.
“The rescue team from Nteje attended to the injured victims, transporting them to the hospital for treatment. They took the bodies of the deceased to Jerusalem Mortuary in Nteje after confirmation by a doctor,” Alexander added.
In a follow-up to the incident, the Sector Commander visited the surviving victims at Regina Caeli Hospital and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital in Awka to assess their condition and offer support.
Authorities have reiterated the need for caution on the roads and urged drivers to avoid speeding and reckless overtaking.
