Two passengers of a commercial bus were, on Sunday, burnt to death in an accident along Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Umuokpu, Awka, Anambra State.

A witness told PREMIUM TIMES that the commercial bus caught fire after it collided with an SUV. “Before we knew it, the fire spread to the other vehicle and people started running out of the vehicles,” the witness said.

The Chairman of Anambra State Fire Service, Martin Agbili, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.

He said the incident happened at about 1:36 p.m.
He said Romchi Mass Transit bus and Lexus SUV RX350 were involved in the crash.

The fire chief said firefighters were quickly deployed to the area, following a distress call.
Two passengers lost their lives in the incident, while others rushed out of the vehicles, he said.

Mr Agbili said the fire fighters were able to prevent the inferno from spreading to other vehicles.

He, however, regretted that the heavy traffic along Amawbia flyover prevented the firefighters from arriving early at the scene of the accident.

“We would have saved a lot if not because of the chain traffic,” Mr Agbili said.
The accident occurred hours after a fire incident at a hotel in Awka.

However, the fire incident reportedly started as a spark in an electric generator at about 4:47 am, before it completely burnt the generator house. “No life was lost in the hotel” , Mr Agbili said.

Lolo Ijeoma Njoku Obinwannem News Writer/ June 6, 2022