At least 12 people, including four children, have lost their lives after a gas tanker collided with a commuter bus along the Owerri–Onitsha Expressway in Imo State on Tuesday.
According to the Imo State Police Command, the tanker, marked with registration number T 16716 LA and the inscription NUPENG, was driving against traffic when it rammed into the bus. The bus was said to be conveying members of the Jehovah’s Witness Church from Anambra State to Agwa community in Imo.
Police spokesman Henry Okoye confirmed that eight adults and four children died in the crash, while eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
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“The deceased have been evacuated and deposited at Ogbaku Mortuary, while the injured are receiving treatment at Divine Hospital, Awo-Omamma,” Okoye stated.
He added that the wreckage had been cleared and normal traffic restored through the combined efforts of the police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). An investigation into the incident is already underway.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, condoled with the families of the victims and cautioned motorists against reckless driving, particularly against traffic.