9 APC supporters die in auto crash in Abakaliki

Nine members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were on Friday morning crushed to death at Ezzamg­bo junction in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state.

Their vehicle, a sienna bus veered off its lane and rammed into a tipper truck leaving the passengers trapped in the quizzed bus.

The victims were said to be supporter of APC who were heading to Enugu state to witness the judgement of the Appeal Court on the Ebonyi governorship suit filed by Labor Par­ty candidate as they had been members of the Labor Party before their recent defection to APC.

The Tipper driver and one occupant of the APC car were said to have been critically injured and were currently receiving treatment at the Fed­eral Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki.

The APC branded Sienna vehicle rammed into the tipper along the ever busy junction.

An eye witness narrated that the accident occurred at about 8:10 a.m when the Sienna Car going to Enu­gu suddenly dodged an Okada rider, plying one-way but could not control the speed that forced him to jump the dual carriageway to hit the tipper driver on his lane.

The source noted that nine of the passengers died on the spot while the tipper driver was rushed to the hospital.

In his words, ''the APC branded Sienna vehicle was from Abakaliki to Enugu with ten passengers. The accident occurred at the dual carriageway at Ezzamgbo junction when the driver of the APC car was trying to dulge an Okada rider plying one-way but jumped the pavement of the double lane and hit the tipper driv­er going to Abakaliki''.

He add that it took the interven­tion of sympathizers who used axes and other sharp objects to break the body of the APC car to force out the victims with pools of blood that littered the ground.

The source further added that several ambulances carried the corpses to undisclosed mortuary.

The state governor who was heading to Enugu in the company of his wife, Rachael for the judgement stopped his convoy, lamenting the ghastly nature of the accident.

Confirming the incident, the Caretaker Chairman of Ohaukwu lo­cal government area, Barrister Clement Odaah said that he rushed to the scene five minutes after to rescue the situation.

He added that two survivors were taken to the hospitals for immediate treatment while arrangements were in top gear for the decease families to come and identify their corpses.