Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area, the commercial headquarters of Edo North was thrown into deep mourning Wednesday morning as not less than five persons were feared dead after a trailer conveying cement crashed into several shops in the city centre popularly called Igbo Shade.
An eyewitness, Alhaji Salisu Umoru, who is a former speaker of Etsako West Local Government Area Legislative Arm, said that the precise casualty figure is yet to be ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
The politician explained that the vehicle which belongs to BUA Cement Company at Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of the state was heading downtown from the popular upgarage area of the town when the driver lost control apparently from break failure.
The ex-councillor said that he was on a fuel line at the nearby retail outlet when he heard a big bang which turned out to be the result of the trailer crashing into several shops at Igbo Shade.
The politician said that he was devastated when he got to the scene, adding that the vehicle smashed into many shops, killing and maiming several persons while destroying goods worth several millions of naira were destroyed.
He said sympathizers have been battling for several hours in a desperate effort to pull out corpses from the rubbles of the collapsed buildings and under the chassis of the vehicle.
The eye witness disclosed that several persons who were injured in the morning fatal auto crash have been rushed to different hospitals in Auchi and neighbouring Jattu for treatment and are presently battling for their lives.
Umoru wailed: “It is black Wednesday in Auchi. The driver of a trailer conveying cement lost control due to break failure and crashed into the popular Igbo Shade, killing and maiming several persons which included traders and buyers. Over five persons dead on the spot and several are still trapped in the rubbles of the collapsed buildings. The figure will rise as some of the victims who were seriously injured may not make it in the hospital.”
In an attempt to maintain peace and prevent hoodlums from cashing in on the situation, councillor as the politician is fondly called disclosed that the accident scene has been cordoned off by a detachment of soldiers from the NICOHO Barracks and some policemen from the divisional police headquarters.
Persistent efforts to speak with Mr. Shaibu, the local unit commander were futile as he insisted that he was not authorized to speak on the fatal accident.
