3 die in multiple crash

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Three persons were on Friday killed and 20 others injured in a multiple accident involving an articulated vehicle and four buses in Awka, the Anambra state capital in eastern Nigeria.

The accident occured at the Unizik junction along the Enugu – Onitsha Express way.

A witness told newsmen that the accident occurred at about 4:00 pm when the articulated vehicle with registration number AE 729 UWN, coming from Enugu could not be controlled due to break failure.

Other vehicles involved in the multiple-crash included three Mitsubishi L300 buses with plate numbers XD 323 JJT, XK 927 UWN and AAH 116 XA, as well as a Toyota Hiace bus, ATN 15 XA.

“The driver lost control before crashing into five stationary vehicles at the TRACAS Park at the junction,” the source hinted.

According to the witness, the driver of the articulated vehicle, loaded with palm kernel oil, died instantly along with two other passengers in a bus loading at the park.

A combined team of the Nigeria Police and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) evacuated the 20 persons seriously injured to the Amaku General Hospital, Awka for treatment.

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An official of FRSC, who did not want to be quoted, confirmed the incident, saying that the corpses of the three persons, two men and one woman, were deposited at the Amaka General Hospital mortuary.

He blamed the mishap on break failure of the articulated vehicle and called for strict enforcement on the use of the pedestrian bridge at the Unizik junction.

Also confirming the accident, the Executive Secretary, state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Nwabufo Ejezie, said that the tanker was descending from Enugu end and probably lost control around Regina Caeli junction before crashing into other vehicles.

He also confirmed the driver dead as well as the casualties.

Ejezie said his agency would immediately arrange a visit to the hospital to ascertain the identities of the injured and their health condition.

The executive secretary blamed pedestrians who refused to use the foot bridge to cross the busy express way for the accident.

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