No fewer than six persons died on Monday in a road accident at the Opi Agu end of the Nsukka-Enugu Road in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Federal Road Safety Corps which confirmed the incident to The PUNCH, described it as unfortunate. It was gathered that a bus travelling to the northern part of the country had collided with a tipper carrying sand, killing all the passengers on board.

The bus, which has the inscription of DIEU MERCI Transport, was said to have loaded from Kaduna to Port Harcourt on a night journey before the accident occurred.

The collision, according to eyewitnesses, occurred when the back tyres of the tipper driving on the opposite direction pulled out of the lorry and rammed into the bus.

One of the eyewitnesses,Okoye Ede, told Punch correspondent that the tripper also collided with the commuter bus, crushing it beyond recognition.

He said six persons died instantly, while other occupants of the bus were injured.

“I was coming down from Enugu to Nsukka when we got to the ugly scene. The commuter bus was badly damaged, dead and injured people littered the ground.

“The quick intervention of men of the FRSC, Nsukka, and other security agents prevented more casualties, as the injured ones were hurriedly taken to hospital for treatment,” he said.

The Sector Commander, RS9-1, Mr Ogbonna Kalu, described the incident as unfortunate. Kalu said the commuter bus travelling from Kaduna to Port Harcourt had the collision with the tipper about 7.30am.

“There was a fatal accident that involved a commuter bus and tipper lorry this morning (Monday) at Opi-Enugu Road.

“Six persons died instantly while others sustained serious and minor injuries. The victims were taken to the Bishop Shanahan Hospital in Nsukka,” he said

He also added that the affected vehicles had been towed away for further investigations and to give way for smooth traffic on the road.”