Vehicle Crushes 20 Pupils In Anambra

A Toyota Camry lost control on Thursday and ran into some secondary school pupils at the Umuokpu Junction along the old Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, Awka, Anambra State.

The victims were mostly pupils of the Community Secondary School, Umuokpu, and Union Secondary School, Amawbia.

No fewer than seven of them were feared dead, while 10 others were critically injured in the accident.

It is gathered that the pupils had just closed from school and were waiting by the side of the road to catch transportation home when the car ran into them.

One of the victims, an old man, had his right leg broken, his right eyes cut open, while a whitish substance oozed out of his forehead.

  

One of the pupils feared dead in the accident had her head crushed. The unnamed pupil, who was said to be of Union Secondary School, laid lifeless on the road when reporters visited the area.

Another victim was trapped under a commercial bus that tried to avoid colliding with the Toyota Camry.

The car also rammed into the people selling fruits and recharge cards and left several traders injured.

Sympathisers were seen trying to rescue the victims. In the confusion, the driver of the car, who also sustained injury, was seen as he climbed out of the mangled car, crossed to the other side of the road and took a cab away from the scene.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived 20 minutes after the accident, but the victims had been taken to nearby hospitals. The FRSC officials later towed the car away.

The Anambra State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, said, “I am aware of the accident. I am, however, waiting for my men to give me the full details of what happened.”

May the souls of these students lost in the accident rest in peace and may God Almighty give their parents the fortitude to the bear the irreparable lost. Amen.