Fire Kills One In Auto Crash

One person was on Wednesday burnt to death on Niger Bridge Onitsha in Anambra State, when a Mercedes 911 lorry lost control and ran into one of its supporting pillars and burst into flames.

According to an eye witness,  the accident happened around 6.30am.

He said the drivers of the lorry with registration No. XC 759 G.G. apparently lost control of the steering and rammed his vehicle into a pillar.

Reports said the lorry immediately burst into flames, with the conductor trapped in the fire.

The eye witness, however, did not say whether the drive was injured or not.

When The Tide visited the scene of the accident, the fire was still raging, resulting in severe traffic congestion in the area.

Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officers sealed off the portion of the road that was engulfed in the fire.

Commenting on the incident, the Onitsha unit commander of the FRSC, Paulinus Ezeh, said the Niger Bridge is too narrow to withstand the heavy traffic daily.

“The bridge is a single carriage away and is prone to accidents, especially when drivers are overtaking”, Mr Ezeh said.

In a related development, men of the Anambra State Traffic Agency (ASTA) have beaten up a trailer driver in Ihiala on the Onitsha–Owerri Expressway, for allegedly contravening traffic regulation.

In sympathy with their colleague, trailer drivers blocked the expressway, causing intense traffic snarl.

When contacted, state Police Public Relation Officer, Mr Emeka Chukuemeka confirmed the incident.

He said the police were later invited and they brought the situation under control.