No fewer than seven persons have been confirmed dead following a road crash along the Calabar-Ikom highway in Cross River State, involving a truck and a 14-seater Toyota Hiace bus.
The ill-fated bus, which belongs to a transport firm known as Calculux, was heading for Port Harcourt when the accident occurred around New-Netim community in Odukpani Local Government Area.
Cross River State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Lawrence Ikechukwu, who confirmed the accident on Wednesday to newsmen in Calabar, said the Port Harcourt bound bus, which left its terminus in Calabar was loaded with 14 passengers.
He said, “The 14-seat bus belonging to the Calculux has number plate LAGOS LSR-813-XS. It was heading to Port Harcourt from Calabar and it was carrying 14 passengers, including the driver.
“The bus driver was on the right hand side of the road and the truck driver was overtaking dangerously and carelessly. The Calculux bus tried to avoid the truck and ran into the bush but the truck lost control and followed them to the bush. It crushed the bus and seven people died.
“The seven other persons are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Calabar and a few of them are in critical conditions. From every indication, the driver of the truck was at fault because he was overtaking dangerously and he lost control.”
He added that the driver of the truck ran away shortly after the accident.
“We are working with the police to arrest the driver of the truck. We will get him and he will face the law. We have the manifest of the bus with us and we are working hard to contact the relatives of those that lost their lives,” he said.
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