By John Ugo, Awka
Hundreds of passengers and drivers at the popular Star Sunny Bus Park in Awka the Anambra’ State Capital on Wednesday escaped death by the whiskers when the driver of a truck lost control and and rammed into a concrete pavement in front of the park along Awka-Enugu-Onitsha expressway in the state.
The truck was laden with 33,000 litres of palm kernel oil.
The incident occured at about 3:28pm in front of the ever busy park while the buses and drivers were busy loading to convey passengers to various destinations across the state.
Investigations showed that the driver of the truck laden with the essential oil with registration number (Anambra’) UKP 771 YA was heading from Enugu state to the commercial town of Onitsha when it crashed in front of the park and spilled its 33, 000 litres content.
Findings revealed that the driver of the truck Mr. Kingsley Odu an Indigene of Imo state had lost control of the vehicle as he tried to avoid crashing into an 18 seater bus in his front carrying a team of the Anambra State Revenue taskforce officials on patrol along the road.
An eye witness said the driver of the truck had struggled to control the vehicle in vain after the bus blocked path as he descended down the road close to the Flyover bridge at the ever busy park close to Aroma/Secretariat road junction.
Driver of the long vehicle Mr. Kingsley Odu told newsmen that he was coming from Amansea axis of the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha express road when he approached Aroma junction.
According to him, “Unfortunately, a Hummer bus with Anambra’ state Government registration number was on my front and as I struggled and managed to avoid hitting it with people inside the bus, so lost control and crashed at the concrete pavement which led to the truck falling down.”
It was like a war zone as hundreds of passengers, drivers and traders doing businesses as well as tricycle and shuttle bus operators within and around the motor park ran for their lives as they thought the truck was laden with petrol to avoid fire explosion.
All the bus drivers fled as they evacuated their buses from the tensed area to avert fire razing down their vehicles even as passengers took to their heels.
Some of the road side traders and shop owners within the motor parks and around Aroma junction had abadoned their wares and business premises while others closed their shops as they scampered for safety.
Several sympathizers thronged the scene as the product spilled for an hour even as the fallen truck blocked a section of the expressway causing traffick gridlock in the process.
Men of the Anambra’ State Fire Service had later arrived the scene after they were alerted about the unfortunate incident.
It took the intervention of men of the Anambra’ State Traffick Management Agency and team of the State Fire Service to cordon off the area before trapped motorists could continue their journeys.