Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Enugu State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of 11 persons in a fatal road accident on the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
The Sector Commander, Mr. Franklin Agbakoba, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Enugu following the crash, which involved two vehicles.
Agbakoba said, “The accident occurred at about 6:46 p.m. today, Saturday, at a location adjacent to the FRSC Ozalla Unit Command on the expressway.”
He disclosed that the 11 persons who lost their lives comprised 10 males and one female.
“A total of 36 persons, comprising 27 males and nine females, were involved in the collision between a commercial Toyota Coaster bus and an articulated Mercedes-Benz trailer this evening on the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
“Apart from those who unfortunately lost their lives, seven persons, comprising three males and four females, sustained injuries in the accident.
“The injured victims have been taken to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, for medical attention.
“The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the UNTH morgue,” he said.
The sector commander added that FRSC personnel had cleared all obstructions caused by the crash, restoring free flow of traffic along the affected axis of the expressway.
Agbakoba noted that preliminary investigations suggest Route Traffic Violation (RTV) and Loss of Control (LOC) as possible causes of the accident.
He commended officers and marshals of the FRSC Ozalla Unit Command for their swift response in rescuing victims, evacuating the injured to UNTH for treatment, and clearing the obstruction.
“Further information on the accident will be made available to the public soon,” he added.
