PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha
It was a black valentine’s Day celebration at Nnewi, Anambra State, as about 10 people reportedly lost their lives when a 40-foot trailer laden with cement rammed into a residential building and some shops when it failed to brake and the driver lost control of it.
The incident which occurred close to Nnewi Police Area Command junction at about 6.00 pm on the fateful day, involved families, tenants, neighbors, road side petty traders, among others.
An eyewitness who simply identified himself as John revealed, “I saw it all as it happened, the trailer was descending the hilly road along the Nnewi Police Area Command and suddenly failed to brake and the driver, who is dead now, could not control the trailer and it ran into a residential building and some shops.
“Most of the occupants of the building and shops were dead, including all the children of a family, other tenants, neighbors and even roadside traders who were killed by the ill-fated trailer. I counted about 10 people that died but I know there should be more because even the driver is dead and is still trapped, he stated.
A relation to one of the dead persons who pleaded anonymity disclosed, “Today that everyone is celebrating Valentine’s day ours is sorrow, as you can see it is all crying and wailing. Buildings and structures were destroyed by the trailer and over 10 lives wasted,” he lamented.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, (SP), said that only six died and two were seriously injured adding that the police, road safety corps and other relevant agencies have taken control of the situation.
As at the time of filing this report, the corpses were still there at the scene of the incident begging for evacuation to the morgues even as most sympathisers were putting calls across.asking people to rush to the scene to identify their loved ones.
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