Tragedy as Speeding Bus Slams into Tanker, Killing 8 in Anambra

Eight people have died and six others were injured in a fatal accident along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway in Anambra State. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Anambra Sector Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Monday by the Sector Public Education Officer, RC Margaret B. Onabe.

According to the statement, the accident occurred around 9:00 p.m. on Sunday near the New Terminal close to Ukpo Junction. It involved a Mack tanker without a registration number and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number EKP375XM. Preliminary investigations revealed that the bus, which was travelling from Abakaliki to Onitsha, was speeding and dangerously overtook before colliding with the tanker, which was heading towards Awka on a single carriageway.

The crash claimed the lives of eight individuals — four males and four females — while six others, including two males and four females, sustained various degrees of injuries. Rescue operations were immediately carried out by the FRSC team from RS5.33 Nteje, who evacuated the injured victims to the hospital and deposited the deceased at Jerusalem Mortuary, Nteje, after a doctor confirmed their deaths.

The FRSC Anambra Sector Command expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery. It also emphasized the importance of maintaining a minimum safe speed and ensuring the road is clear before overtaking to prevent similar tragedies.

Reacting to the incident, the FRSC Sector Commander in Anambra State, Corps Commander Joyce Nnennaya Alexander, reiterated the need for careful driving and strict adherence to traffic rules. She visited the crash scene, inspected the damaged vehicles at the Nteje Police Station, and met with the Chief of Taskforce, NUPENG. She also visited the injured victims at Regina Caeli Hospital and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital to assess their condition and provide moral support.

The FRSC Anambra Sector Command reaffirmed its commitment to promoting road safety, enforcing traffic laws, and working closely with stakeholders to ensure safer highways for all road users.