Four corps members, twenty-four others die in Enugu auto crash

By Tony Edike

ENUGU – TRAGEDY struck in Enugu State, Monday afternoon as a fatal auto accident involving two commuter buses killed 28 passengers and the drivers.

Among the deceased were four discharged members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who were returning to their homes after the national service.

Two persons who were seriously injured and went into coma were rescued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who rushed them to a hospital at Ninth Mile.

Involved in the accident which occurred at Egede village, on Ninth Mile -Nsukka Highway, were a commuter bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit with registration number BENUE  XB 504 TKP and another bus owned by Enugu State Transport Company, ENTRACO, with registration number, ENUGU – XL 812 UWN, each conveying 15 passengers.

The driver of the Peace Mass Transit bus marked 2258, was conveying passengers from Enugu to Nsukka and was said to be overtaking another vehicle when he collided with an oncoming ENTRACO bus.

Several traveling bags belonging to the passengers littered the road and the FRSC rescue team and sympathizers discovered four NYSC discharge certificates in the luggage.

The FRSC Sector Commander in Delta State, Commander, Lukas Ikpi ,who met the accident while travelling on the road, said he immediately alerted his men at Enugu Sector Command who rushed to the scene for rescue operation.