School bus, trailer crash leaving 21 dead

It was an awful situation Wednesday afternoon in Mgbowo village, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State. The atmosphere was laden with intense emotion as a road accident claimed the lives of twenty-one (21) persons; mostly school children of Presentation Nursery and Primary School, Catholic Diocese of Awgu.

Many families were grieving as it was reported that one family had lost three children in the accident. The Mercedes Benz 608 bus, full of students, accommodated 64 passengers; which included 61 students, 2 teachers and a driver.

It was gathered that the incident happened at about 4:30pm. The trailer, owned by a construction company, reportedly developed brake faults and lost control, speeding down from the Mmaku slope of Oji river/Awgu road into Enugu/Port-Harcout expressway; and bumped into the school bus.

The commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Enugu Division, Ogbona Kalu confirmed the incident, saying the accident was as a result of a supposed brake failure; not excluding “reckless driving”.

“As we speak, the confirmed number of death is 21. Of note is that not all the deaths were school children. Those working on the roadside were part of the casualties. There were a lot of artisans where the crash happened. Information reaching me also has it that the low-bed has a problem,” he added.

Some staffs of the school, a vulcanizer, a commercial motorcyclist, and an auto mechanic also died in the accident.

It was also known that several students and other road users were injured. They were, however, rushed to a nearby hospital just as parents surrounded the scene and tried to examine bodies of the deceased.

The driver of the bus and that of the trailer reportedly survived the accident. “The driver of the heavy-duty trailer ran away from the scene after forcing the vehicle to a halt inside the bush,’’ an eyewitness said.

Mazi Ozoemela Chikwas reporting, Obinwannem News