Valentine tragedy: 12 killed as trailer runs into…

It was a tragic Valentine Day in Enugu when a trailer carrying stones ran into the Oji-River wonderful market killing about 12 persons. Scores of people also sustained severe injuries while a good number of vehicles and commercial motorcycles were destroyed in the accident, which occurred at 2:30pm.The trailer, which was descending a hill from the Enugu end of the old Enugu-Awka road, was re-ported to have lost control due to brake failure crushing okada riders and their motorcycles as well as vehicles parked by the roadside.

The  trailer ended up in a shop housing a chemist and a boutique killing the owner of the boutique on the spot. School children, who were trek-king home, were not spared as some of the were among the dead while the lucky ones joined scores of wounded people who were rushed to the Oji-River General Hospital. Chairman of the market association, Ide Augustine Mba told reporters that some victims had their heads cut off making it difficult to identify them. Chairman of Oji-River Local Government Area,

Hon. Onyemaechi Jideofor was at the scene to mobilise heavy machines to lift the crashed trailer, while police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) evacuated victims and those trapped in the wreckage. The market, which has always been a busy place with vehicles on both sides of the road, has been noted for similar accidents. An aide to Oji-River council boss, Roland Anya, stressed the need for a part of the shops along the road to be relocated off the road.