NTIGHA, Nigeria (BN24) — A tragic auto crash in Abia State claimed the lives of four individuals, including a young child, when an 18-seater bus somersaulted off the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road near Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the fatal accident occurred late Tuesday morning.
Sector Commander Ngozi Ezeonu of the FRSC Abia Command said on Thursday that one female child was confirmed dead at the scene, while three other adult female passengers later died during hospital treatment, raising the death toll to four.
“The crash initially claimed the life of a female child at the spot,” Ezeonu said. “Upon hospital follow-up, we discovered three additional fatalities, all adult females, bringing the total to four.”
The vehicle, a white Toyota Hiace bus with registration number MBA 124 XB, was reported to have been traveling from Ebonyi State to Aba when the accident occurred around 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday. According to the FRSC, the lone accident was caused by a sudden tyre burst that forced the vehicle to veer off the road and somersault into nearby bushland.
Kelechi Igbonekwu, Public Relations Officer for the FRSC in Abia, earlier confirmed that 14 other passengers sustained various degrees of injuries. Of the injured, nine were adult males and five were adult females. Emergency response teams, including the Abia State Emergency Response Team led by Obioma Analaba, quickly arrived on the scene to administer aid and evacuate victims to local hospitals.
Eyewitnesses at the crash site described the harrowing scene. Chinaza, a nearby resident, recounted hearing a loud bang before the vehicle flipped multiple times. “The tyre burst suddenly, and the next thing we saw was the bus tumbling into the bush,” he said.
The FRSC has reiterated the importance of road safety, urging motorists to maintain proper vehicle conditions and adhere to traffic regulations to prevent similar tragedies. Commander Ezeonu emphasized the need for drivers across Nigeria to exercise caution, especially on high-speed highways prone to such incidents.
The crash site on the busy Enugu-Port Harcourt Road remains a focal point for traffic authorities as investigations continue into what may have contributed to the tyre failure.
Credit: Punching.com
