Six fear dead as truck rams into market in Anambra

Not fewer than six persons on Tuesday evening, lost their lives in an auto crash involving a-9111 tipper with registration number of JJT-421XG and a fully loaded Dangote cement truck at Ibughubu market, Umuchu, Aguata LGA of Anambra State.

The drivers of both vehicles, conductor of the truck and two traders of the shops in which the truck ran into, died instantly while some traders and conductor of the tipper driver sustained injuries.

Also properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Similar accident which occurred in the market in 2015 claimed 22 lives, even as that which occurred in 2018 killed one motorcycle rider.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that at scene of the incident, people were found unloading bags of cement from the truck where it stacked in the middle of three shops their buildings and wares were completely demolished, while the police were seen controlling youths of the community, who took placards to peacefully demonstrate what they termed constant accident on the highway.

An eyewitness, Mr Ikechukwu Ogbu, who could not hold his tears over the damage, explained that the tipper was hit by the speedy truck while it was trying to scale through some road barriers on the highway.

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According to Ogbu, as the tipper ran unto two shops at the other side of the market, the truck forced itself into three shops at the other side of the market, killing and destroying properties.

He called on the federal and state government to quickly come and install speed breaker on the road in curtail future occurrence.

On his part, Chairman of Ubughubu village, Mr Titus Ike, disclosed that the accident broke through three shops, one belonging to one Okwudili Egbobuike, and two, owned by Nonso Ezekwelu who traders in the market.

“Nonso’s own was fatal because it broke into three shops, with the owner and his mother becoming victims. There are other people I don’t have their details because I have not been to the hospital. Our village man, Aaron Ononuju, who is about 65-years-old had been taken to mortuary.”

“We are currently embarking on peaceful demonstration to the palace of our traditional ruler and other leaders of the community. We are going to install speed breaker on this road tomorrow because we are tired of accident. This place is valley especially the market. We don’t want it to kill people again. Two years ago, we lost nine people. We lost two students two months ago. We just lost three people. Other persons sustained serious injury,” he lamented.

It was learnt that corpses of the dead excluding that of conductor of the cement truck which was not found had been deposited in a nearby morgue, while the injured were receiving medical attention at an unnamed hospital.

When contacted the Police Public Relation Office PPRO, Anambra State Command, SP Mohammed Hurana, via telephone, at the time of filling this report his phone number was reachable.