On Wednesday afternoon, tragedy struck on the Enugu-Opi Nsukka Road in Enugu State as a lone vehicle accident claimed the lives of 16 passengers, leaving a trail of death and heartbreak in its wake. At approximately 5:30 pm, the ill-fated vehicle met with a devastating crash, reducing the lives of the 16 passengers to ashes in a single, tragic instant.
The victims, 13 males, and two females, were burnt beyond recognition.
The accident was blamed on excessive speed, as the white Toyota Hummer bus with the Bauchi registration number DAS 215 XA and the inscription “Masha Allah” careened out of control and crashed into the fence of Maduka University. The vehicle, which had the capacity to seat 18 passengers, met its gruesome end after hurtling down the road at a reckless velocity, causing it to veer off course and collide with the university fence, dealing a devastating blow to the unsuspecting passengers.
Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, released a statement via the Enugu State Police Command’s X.com handle on Monday, confirming the devastating details of the tragic accident that occurred along the Enugu-Opi Nsukka Road last Wednesday. Ndukwe’s statement shed light on the preliminary investigation into the accident, which pointed towards excessive speed as the likely cause of the deadly crash that claimed the lives of 16 passengers aboard the ill-fated white Toyota Hummer bus.
The statement read, “The Enugu State Police Command wishes to inform the public that a lone fatal motor accident occurred today, April 30, 2024, around 5:20 p.m.
“A preliminary investigation reveals that the vehicle unfortunately burst into flames burning beyond recognition, the 16 deceased individuals, who were taken to the hospital and confirmed dead. However, two other passengers were rescued alive and taken to the hospital for medical attention by police officers, soldiers, and public-spirited citizens, who immediately responded to the incident.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, in the company of officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, has visited the scene to assess the situation.”