A cross section of road users plying the Enugu-Onitsha expressway has called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to prevail on the contractor handling the Umunya, Oyi LGA axis of the road to urgently fix the bad portion at the popular Odumodu junction in order to reduce number of deaths at the spot.
The road users, including a driver – Chinedu Nworie, passengers – Joy Ume, Obiora Ike and Tony Onwuama, made the call in reaction to the death of five passengers of a commercial bus who lost their lives when a fully loaded container fell on a commercial bus they were in at the Odumodu junction.
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Spokesperson in Anambra State, RC Margaret Onabe, explained that the latest crash, which occured at about 7:30am on Friday, involved a Mistubishi L300 (commercial bus) with registration number: XE245AWK, and a DAF/Leyland (commercial) truck with registration number: T-19094LA.
She attributed the incident to bad road, adding that five female adults died in the crash, two male adults and two female adults sustained different degrees of injuries, while one male adult was rescued unhurt.
“The probable cause of the fatal crash was attributed to failed portion of the Road. According to eyewitness, the two vehicles were enroute different locations —one to Awka, and the other to Onitsha. The two vehicles got to the spot at same time, and due to the weight of the truck, the container fell on the bus and crashed,” she said.
Continuing, the FRSC Spokesperson said “FRSC rescue team from RS5.33 Nteje took the injured victims to the Divine Care Hospital, Umunya, for medical attention, while the dead victims were taken to the Chira Hospital for doctor’s confirmation before deposition at the New Jerusalem Mortuary, Nteje.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State FRSC Sector Commander, Corps Commander Adeoye Irelewuyi has sympathized with the families of the dead victims and wished the injured victims quick recovery, urging motorists to always drive with caution, and be observant of the their environment when driving.
Recall that at plenary sometime ago, the Anambra State House of Assembly passed a resolution urging Governor Soludo to put speed breakers at visual sites at the Odumodu junction and other intersection roads, all aimed at reducing casualties on Anambra roads.