Relief as 19 escape death in Delta road crash

There was evident relief as over 19 passengers on Tuesday escaped death in Asaba, the Delta State capital when a truck loaded with items fell on two buses along the Nnebisi Road of the state.

The accident, which occurred in front of the Bishop Court, St Peters Anglican Church, Asaba, left some of the travellers injured.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the incident, disclosed to PUNCH Metro that the crash occurred because of the failed sections of the Asaba-Onitsha Road, noting that the truck fell on a bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit coming from Lagos and a shuttle bus town service, pressing the two buses.

“In fact, God has done a marvellous thing for us this morning and averted what would have been described as a bloodbath in Asaba.

“The full 18 passengers of the Peace Mass bus are alive, and nobody died. They only sustained minor injuries.

“You know that for over four months, the Asaba-Onitsha Expressway has been deplorable. In fact, the road has collapsed. So, vehicles, including trucks, are currently plying inside the town.

“And these inner roads have also collapsed and are very difficult to navigate. So, this morning, while the truck was trying to navigate the bad road, it eventually fell and pressed the two buses. The two drivers sustained injuries,” the eyewitness narrated.

The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Delta State Command, Mr. Frederick Ogidan, confirmed the accident to PUNCH Metro when our correspondent contacted him.

He said, “It is a truck that fell on the buses at the Nnebisi Road, but no casualties. All of them were safe.

When our correspondent visited the scene of the accident, he observed that the fallen truck’s load was being transloaded into another truck even as the police were seen on the ground controlling traffic occasioned by accident.

Similarly, another truck that was trying to avoid the failed Asaba-Onitsha Expressway road and navigating through St. Bridget’s Road killed a tricycle operator.

An eyewitness said the truck driver ran away after killing the victim and abandoned the vehicle.