Two killed in truck-tanker accident in Anambra

Two people have died and two others are injured after a road accident at Jezco Filling Station on the Awka-Enugu Expressway in Anambra State.

The crash happened late Thursday night, blocking a large part of the road and causing heavy traffic for drivers.

Eyewitnesses at the scene told City Round that the accident involved two commercial vehicles with four men inside.

"A total of four men were involved in the crash. Sadly, two men died, and two others were hurt," an eyewitness said.

"It happened at about 11:47 pm on Thursday. The accident caused a serious traffic jam as it took up a big part of the road."

"Because of road construction, the road was partly blocked. The driver of one truck was speeding and suddenly hit the brakes. Then the tanker truck behind crashed into it, causing a lot of damage. After the impact, the front truck was crushed, and a fire broke out, leading to an explosion," the eyewitness added.

Margaret Onabe, the Sector Public Education Officer for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra, confirmed the accident in a statement on Friday.

Onabe said two commercial trucks were involved. One was a Mercedes 911 truck and the other was a Mark Tanker truck from Shafa Energy. Both trucks did not have registration numbers.

She stated, "A total of four men were in the crash. Sadly, two men died, and two others were injured."

"Good Samaritans took the injured men to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital in Awka before the FRSC team arrived."

"We are still working to recover the bodies of those who died, as they were trapped and burned beyond recognition."

According to her, it was dark at the time of the accident, and the road was asphalt. She believes speeding and loss of control caused the crash.

The FRSC rescue team was on the scene within 10 minutes to manage traffic and help vehicles move smoothly.

In a statement, the Sector Commander of Anambra, Corps Commander Bridget Asekhauno, expressed sympathy for the victims' families. She advised drivers to avoid speeding, especially in construction areas, and to follow traffic rules.

She also urged the relevant authorities to speed up construction on the other lane to prevent dangerous two-way traffic on a single lane.

"The Corps is committed to making the roads safer for all drivers. We encourage the public to call the FRSC toll-free line 122 for emergencies," the statement concluded.