At least 16 people are reported to have died when the vehicle they were travelling in crashed into a fence and caught fire along the Enugu/Opi/Nsukka road late on Tuesday.
The Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe disclosed this in a statement shared on the X page of the command on Wednesday.
The accident, happened when an 18-seater bus with a Bauchi number plate DAS 215 XA crashed into the fence of Maduka University and went up in flames. The intensity of the collision and fire killed 16 passengers on the spot while two others were rescued alive.
The dead included 14 males and 2 females
The statement read, “The Enugu State Police Command wishes to inform the public that a lone fatal motor accident occurred today, April 30, 2024, around 5:20 p.m., at Ekwegbe, along Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road, claiming the lives of yet-to-be-identified 14 males and two females who burned beyond recognition.
“The accident involves an 18-seater white-coloured Toyota Hummer bus with a Bauchi State commercial registration number DAS 215 XA and the inscription “Masha Allah”, said to have been driven at high speed, lost control, and plunged into the fence of Maduka University along the road.
“A preliminary investigation reveals that the vehicle unfortunately burst into flames burning beyond recognition, the 16 deceased individuals, who were taken to the hospital and confirmed dead. However, two other passengers were rescued alive and taken to the hospital for medical attention by police officers, soldiers and public-spirited citizens, who immediately responded to the incident.”
The State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, who visited the scene of the incident alongside officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps urged members of the public to come forward with useful information that can assist in identifying victims.