Seven dead in accident on Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Friday that seven persons lost their lives in an auto-crash at Aki-na-Ukwa Junction, Mgbowo, on Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

The FRSC Sector Commander for Enugu State, Ogbonnaya Kalu, who confirmed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Enugu said the accident happened at about 4p.m. on Thursday.

Mr Kalu said some personnel of the corps had to get specialised equipment to free three of the deceased that were trapped in a car that was involved in the accident.

He said that the accident occurred after an articulated vehicle failed break, lost control and rammed into some shops on the expressway at the junction and finally hit a car at a nearby mechanic workshop.

The commander noted that the trailer, which was Enugu bound, had no vehicle registration number, but just a tag, “LEV 043’’, and was laden with goods.

According to him, as the trailer rammed into some shops on the road it killed four traders instantly.

“And as it went ahead it hit a car close to a mechanic workshop and killed the three occupants in it,’’ he said.

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Mr Kalu, however, urged the Awgu local government authority to place a billboard urging motorists to slow down at the junction.

“We have recorded too many fatal accidents at that junction.

“The community leaders in the area should advise and educate their people not to trade or build shops along the road in order to reduce human fatality.

“If that junction was free from human activities, maybe we will not have recorded any death in the first place,’’ he said.

The sector commander called on motorists to maintain the speed limit in any human or socially built-up area of the expressway.

“It is unfortunate that the trailer might have been coming at high speed, even in a seriously human built-up area like the Port Harcourt-Enugu Road,’’ he added.

(NAN)