Police blame accident on failed breaks and excessive speed
… Council Chairman blames FG on failed portion of East-West road
Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt
Six passengers died on the spot when a Lagos bound 14-seater commercial bus involved in a fatal accident a few meters away from the Choba bridge along the East-West road in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State capital.
Eyewitnesses told our Correspondent that the Commercial bus that has ‘Famous Motors’ on the body was involved in the accident happened at about 10am yesterday, Thursday August 9, when the rammed into a heavy duty truck that was carrying a crane.
At the time of filing this report Motorists and kindhearted members of the public were seen struggling to evacuate survivors at the scene of the accident and also redirect traffic that was already building up along the ever busy trunk A expressway.
The immediate cause of the accident is not known at the time of filing this report. It is said that it may not be unconnected to over speeding and error of judgment of the bus and Crane ladden truck.
Correspondent gathered from Eyewitnesses who said that they saw four survivors who are in critical condition being evaluated to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, which is less than half kilometer away.
The Death toll of those who died in the auto accident involving a Lagos bound Bus yesterday Thursday August 8 by Choba along the East-West road in Port-Harcourt and a truck carrying a crane has risen from Six to Nine persons.
More details gathered by Our Correspondent this morning revealed that the death toll rose because among who were rescued from Bus, which burst into flames suffered third degree burns later gave up the ghost due to the impact of head on collision with the heavy truck.
It was also later gathered that the heavy duty truck failed breaks and it was difficult and too sudden for the 14-seater Commercial bus that was on high speed rammed into it and burst into flames..
Among those who later died were those who were rushed to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH.
Eyewitnesses told our Correspondent that the Commercial bus that has ‘Famous Motors’ on the body was involved in the accident happened at about 10am today, Thursday August 9, when the rammed into a heavy duty truck that was carrying a crane.
It was also gathered that some of Eyewitnesses who were first to arrive at the scene busied themselves snapping and recording some charred bodies the passengers at the accident scene.
It was also learnt that a kindhearted Commercial Driver volunteered his taxi cab as an “emergency ambulance” that evacuated evacuate survivors at the scene of the accident.
Eyewitnesses who said that they saw four survivors who are in critical condition being evaluated to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH, which is less than half kilometer away.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Emohua local Government Council, Chief Tom Aliezi, who visited the scene of the accident today blamed it on the bad portion of the East-West road which is under the purview of the Federal Government.
He called on the federal government to expedite action and complete the abandoned portions of the East-West road to stem further carnage on the ever busy trunk A expressway.
Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command DSP Nnamdi OMONI, in his reactions blamed the accident to excessive speeding on the part of bus Driver.
He argued that the Bus Driver could have been able to avoid the truck that failed break if he was not on high speed.