Posted by By BUCHY ENYINNAIYA, Asaba on
Tragedy struck Saturday evening along Asaba/Benin expressway as a fatal accident consumed no fewer than nine people, including the bride and a family of six who were part of a bridal train returning from a traditional marriage at Nsugbe, Anambra State.
Tragedy struck Saturday evening along Asaba/Benin expressway as a fatal accident consumed no fewer than nine people, including the bride and a family of six who were part of a bridal train returning from a traditional marriage at Nsugbe, Anambra State.
In a blood chilling account given by one of the victims, Mr Emmanuel Kika, who incidentally is the groom whose bride, Uzoamaka Veronica Okeke, died in the accident, indicated that there were a total of about 22 passengers in a chartered 18-seater passenger bus returning from Nsugbe to Agbor, Delta after the wedding ceremony.
According to the groom, their vehicle, though on the fast lane of the dual carriageway, was not on top speed, but another 18-seater passenger bus heading for Onitsha from Lagos lost control, and hit theirs resulting in the tragedy.
Emmanuel Kaka, who is an accountant working with a firm of builders in Lagos, said his close relations, including a family of six from Agbor, Delta State, his bride, his mother, Mrs Martha Kika, and sister perished in the unfortunate incident. Twelve others on the tragic bridal train are lying critically ill at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.
There was also unconfirmed report that the driver of the bus, with registration number XL 185 KSE, which allegedly caused the accident and two unidentified passengers, died in the crash.
Already corpses of some of the victims have already been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre.
Addressing newsmen on Sunday after a ward round with the Delta State Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr Leo Erhunmwunsee, said a total of 22 casualties were brought into the hospital, out of whom, five were brought in dead, and two soon after died.
Among the casualties on admission are three children, who had accompanied their elders to the traditional marriage, three men in the male ward, three women in the female ward and in the Amenity Ward, one victim while Accident and Emergencies (A and E) ward had just one victim on admission.
Dr Erhunmwunsee added that 12 of the accident victims were still on admission and some of them are in critical conditions. Some of the victims whose injuries were not life threatening had been discharged.
The medical doctor stressed that to give the victims the needed medical attention, the hospital had to mobilise all its staff and resources.
'We had to mobilize all our staff and resources and our orthopaedic surgeon had to be called in immediately so as to save their lives. We started treatment immediately even without asking for any money, and thank God the state governor has come and promised to take care of the bills."
Commiserating with the surviving victims Governor Uduaghan who paid an unscheduled visit to the FMC said: 'It's unfortunate that something like this happened. It's very touching and unfortunate that a couple had gone to wed and start life were involved in this.
We need to always pray to God for journey mercies. We thank God that not everybody died. We are going to settle the medical bills of those who were involved in that unfortunate accident."
Dr Uduaghan, however, advised drivers and other road users to avoid overspeeding especially on the dual carriageways as such could lead to accident.