The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that two people lost their lives in a road crash on the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway on Sunday, with ten others sustaining injuries.
The accident, which occurred at the Ntigha Junction axis of the expressway, was reported to the FRSC at 5:07 p.m. on Sunday, with the response team arriving at the scene within five minutes.
Sector Commander Ngozi Ezeoma, in a statement issued in Umuahia on Monday, confirmed that a green Toyota Hiace bus was involved in the incident.
According to Ms. Ezeoma, the bus, which was carrying 16 passengers, was traveling from Enugu after a crusade organized by the Church of Christ. “One of the uninjured victims mentioned that they were returning from the crusade in Enugu,” she said.
The sector commander explained that the preliminary investigation suggested that the crash might have been caused by a burst tyre.
She assured that the FRSC crash investigation experts would carry out further analysis to identify the contributory factors leading to the crash.
Of the 16 occupants of the bus, 10 sustained injuries, including one female adult and nine male adults. Tragically, one victim died at the scene, while another succumbed to his injuries at the Central Medical Centre in Mbawsi, bringing the death toll to two male adults. The other victims were transported to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) for medical attention.
Ms. Ezeoma called on all drivers to ensure their tyres are regularly checked to avoid accidents due to worn-out or defective tyres. “We urge drivers to regularly check their tyres to ensure they are neither expired, worn-out, over-inflated, nor under-inflated,” she stated.
She also expressed her sympathy for the injured victims and extended condolences to the families of the deceased. The sector commander reiterated the FRSC’s commitment to ensuring road safety and emphasized the importance of road safety awareness for all road users.
