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Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Awgu community in Awgu Local Government of Enugu State was on Wednesday evening thrown into deep mourning as about 21 school children were killed in an auto crash in the community.
The accident according to eyewitness occurred at Mgbowo Awgu when a Lowbed truck belonging to a construction firm working at Oji-River – Awgu Federal Road lost control and rammed into a Mercedes Benz 608 school bus conveying pupils home from the Presentation Nursery Primary School Awgu.
Confirming the incident yesterday, the Enugu Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Ogbonna Kalu, said that as at 11am, 21 persons have been confirmed dead.
Kalu said the 21 were not all school children as there some people around the scene of the incident that were affected.
He said that the school bus was carrying 51 school children of the aforementioned school (both secondary and primary), two teachers and he driver.
He said, “As I speak with you 21 persons have been confirmed dead and more than 50 persons were in the school bus.
“Also of note is that not all the deaths were school children. Those working on the roadside were part of the casualties.
“From available information, the accident was caused by mechanical problem developed by the truck.”
The Sector Commander who said they visited the hospital where the wounded were taken to said some parents had taken away their children to other hospitals of their choice.
Presentation Nursery and Primary School, Awgu is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Awgu and run by the sisters from the Daughters of Divine Love (DDL), Congregation.
