Tragedy hit Awi community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State as 15 people were feared dead in a fatal motor accident along Calabar-Awi-Akamkpa highway of Cross River State.
The accident, which occurred at the early hours of Sunday involved a gold Picnic car and a 14-seater Hiace bus. The Hiace bus was said to be coming from Ikom with about 18 passengers while the Picnic mini bus was carrying six passengers from Calabar going for a burial of one of their friends in the Northern part of the state.
An eye witnesses said 7 persons died at the spot including all 6 on the Picnic bus while the remaining 17 were passengers on the other bus.
A witness, who was in another vehicle and simply gave his name as Mr. Azom, said the bus over took their own vehicle and within a twinkle of an eye had a head on collision with the on-coming Picnic bus that had the driver and five passengers killed instantly.
Azom said: “Around Awi-Akampka Highway about 11:00am, a Haice bus overtook us and the next thing we head was a big bang And when we got there we discovered that two buses had collided and killed people instantly.
“After a while one of the buses exploded and killed several persons on board while a few were rescued by passers-by. As at the time I left the scene about 23 passengers were already dead and were carried to hospital in Calabar.
Akpan Okon, onee of the members of the community, who was on the recuse mission, said “it is a terrible thing to see! The bus over took us and before we knew it, we saw people on the floor, the whole six hefty men in the picnic car died instantly and the one who could not come out died before the Bus exploded.
“I do not know if they were struggling on who to pass first but all we saw was that dead people were lying on the tiled road and i do not know if those removed in the bus were still alive”.
She said she sited officers of the Federal Road safety and Policemen as well as sympathizers at the incident battling to remove dead bodies and injured ones and clear the road for easy movements of traffic.
She said the dead bodies and the injured ones were evacuated into pickup van to general hospital Calabar.
The Road Safety Public Relations Officer, Mr. Festus Nweze, could not be reached on phone for confirmation, but when DAILY SUN went to their office along Marian Road, one of the officers, who don’t want his name on print, said they have received reports of the road accident and would make it public so as members of the public could come forward for identification.
Confirmed the incident but declined to give further details especially as it concerns the number of casualties.
SOURCE: #Daily Sun #JUDEX OKORO, Calabar(Reporter)
