14 wedding guests die in auto crash

Umuahia—An auto crash, weekend, claimed the lives of 14 guests returning from a traditional marriage and wedding ceremony, while many others sustained serious injuries

The victims, from Umuahia, Abia State, were travelling back from a marriage ceremony in Enugu State on Saturday night when the coaster bus conveying them collided head-on with an articulated vehicle (trailer) on the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ozalla.

According to eyewitness, the incident which happened about 6p.m., occured few metres away from the popular 4-Corner Junction.

Fourteen passengers reportedly died instantly at the scene, while others succumbed to their injuries later in the hospital.

Several survivours are still battling for their lives in different medical facilities in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

Most of the deceased were traders dealing in foodstuffs at Bonny Street, by Owerri Road, near Isi Gate, Umuahia.
The groom, Mr. MacDonald Okechukwu, an indigene of Orlu in Imo State, was said to be one of the traders in the area.

His wife hails from Amagunze in Nkanu, Enugu State where both the traditional marriage and wedding ceremony held, few minutes earlier before the tragedy.

When Vanguard visited Bonny Street, yesterday, the usually bustling business hub wore a sober look. Shops were shut, while sympathisers thronged the area to console grieving families.

Speaking to our correspondent, Miss Glory Orji, who lost her father in the crash, said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

Another trader, who preferred anonymity, described the groom as a friendly and sociable person who personally invited many traders, accounting for the large turnout.

At least eight traders from Bonny Street died,” she said, adding tearfully: “There is still someone in a coma. She lost her mother and her sister’s husband, who married barely two years ago.”

A popular Master of Ceremony in Umuahia known as MC Counsellor, who had gone to anchor the wedding ceremony was among the victims.

Confirming the incident, Chairman of Bonny Street Traders Association, Mr. James Edeh, described the accident as horrific.

He said preliminary accounts from the trailer driver suggested that the bus was allegedly driving against traffic.
According to him, the trailer driver claimed he was attempting to overtake a tricycle when the bus emerged from the opposite direction, leading to the fatal head-on collision

We evacuated 12 bodies, including eight traders, two kinsmen of the groom and two other guests,” Edeh said.

Contacted, Commissioner for Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, said she was on transit and could not conveniently pass a comment.

But when contacted also, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the governor had issued a directive for the victims to be identified for assistance.

Culled from vanguard