By Moses Okorie
Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, in company of some prominent Igbo leaders, on Saturday, visited survivors of road crash involving a truck and a school bus, which occurred at Nkwo Junction, Awgu local government area of the state. The governor also promised to take up medical bills of all the victims.
The accident left 21 persons dead while others who sustained several degrees of injury are receiving treatment at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku Ozalla, Enugu State.
Those in the company of the governor were the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo; the Deputy Minority Leader and member representing Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Toby Okechukwu; member representing Enugu East/Isi-Uzo Federal Constituency, Hon. Cornelius Nnaji.
It was earlier reported that 21 persons, many of whom were pupils of Presentation Nursery and Primary School, owned by the Catholic Diocese of Awgu, died in the road crash.
The accident put many homes in mourning, as a family is reported to have lost three of their children in the incident.
It was gathered that the fully loaded 608 Mercedes Benz bus conveying the pupils had 64 occupants, which included 61 students, two teachers, and the driver.
The incident involved a low-bed trailer belonging to a construction company, and it occurred about 4:30pm while the pupils were being conveyed home.
The trailer reportedly developed brake problems and lost control, hurtling down from the Mmaku slope of Oji River-Awgu Road into Nkwo Junction linking Old Enugu-Port-Harcourt expressway and rammed into the school bus, and then into a welder’s shop, where the welder and his apprentice were working.