At least 10 passengers, including two infants, lost their lives in a tragic auto accident at Apu na Ekpu, near the Umuika Junction in Abia State, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway.
According to eyewitness accounts, the accident occurred when a Toyota Sienna bus, operated by a local transport company, lost control and collided with a truck before veering off the road into the bush.
The bus, reportedly traveling at high speed toward Umuahia, struck the truck before crashing. At the time of reporting, sympathizers were assisting Federal Road Safety Commission personnel in transporting the bodies to the morgue.
In a separate incident in Sokoto State, a boat carrying over 40 passengers capsized in the Dundaye River, located in Dundaye Village, Wamakko Local Government Area.
The disaster left 25 passengers unaccounted for, with only 15 rescued so far. The passengers, mostly women and children, were reportedly crossing the river to reach their farms when the boat sank in the middle of the river, six kilometers west of Sokoto metropolis.
An eyewitness, Malam Ayuba Dundaye, confirmed that local divers and swimmers rushed to the scene and managed to save 15 passengers. However, 25 others remain missing as rescue efforts continue.
When contacted, Nasir Kalambaina, the Special Adviser to the Sokoto State governor on the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), stated that he was initially unaware of the incident but quickly mobilized his rescue team.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) also dispatched officials to assist in the ongoing rescue operation.
(allnews.ng)
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