Eight students of Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State, travelling home for the forthcoming general elections, have reportedly died in auto crash.
The students, who were asked to leave school on account of the forthcoming general election, were on their way to Taraba state when the unfortunate incident occurred.
According to an eyewitness, the tragic incident happened on Saturday, 18th February at TTC/Special Science School junction, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
However, seven students were said to have survived the incident with varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital in Ebonyi State.
According to a source, 10 other students who were able to escape the burning bus were rushed to the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital in Ebonyi State for medical attention.
The eye-witness, Matthew Mbam, took to his Facebook page to narrate the incident saying, “While returning from Nwezenyi, Igbeagu, Izzi, Ebonyi State, Nigeria this Sunday evening where I went to pick some people, I met this horrific scene at exactly TTC/Special Science School junction along the trans-Saharan road.
“Seeing the crowd of persons with some army officers around the burnt vehicle, I decided to park my car by the roadside and came out to find out what really happened. I was told that the accident occurred yesterday twilight being Saturday, 18th February, 2023.
“After asking some persons there who all declined telling me what really happened, I met the soldiers who accompanied the relatives from Taraba State, directly to ask them what happened with the burnt vehicle.
“They briefed me that the bus was coming from Port-Harcourt, conveying some students from Madonna University with some of the parents who are returning to Taraba State for a break due to upcoming elections.
“The story further has it that 8 students/a parent are the cheated bodies/ashes that were burnt beyond recognition. And about 7 persons in bad conditions who are currently at Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, escaped from the bus when it caught fire after having head-on collision with a Sienna car.”
One of the parents of the deceased, Grace Usman Ezra, expressed his sorrow over the loss of his daughter on social media, stating that he had never anticipated that sending his daughter to Madonna University would result in her untimely death.
He also extended his prayers to the 10 students who survived the accident, wishing them a speedy recovery, and asking for God’s comfort for all parents who lost their children in the accident.
The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and investigations are ongoing to uncover the circumstances that led to the incident.
The tragic event has elicited deep sadness and grief from many individuals, with several expressing their condolences and prayers for the affected families.
