Nineteen passengers died in a fire that broke out when an 18-seater bus travelling from Orlu to Owerri, collided with a fuel truck in Imo State on Friday. Our correspondent learnt that the truck loaded with diesel was on its way to Orlu when the accident occurred on the Njaba Bridge along the Owerri-Orlu Expressway.
The police confirmed that 17 passengers from the bus died along with the two passengers of the truck. Only a female passenger of the bus survived.
An eyewitness told Saturday PUNCH that the bus and the truck had a head-on collision and burst into flames immediately, trapping the passengers in the process.
By the time the fire was put out, the passengers who died had been burnt beyond recognition.
The tragedy caused a gridlock in the area as residents and travellers battled the fire alongside men of the Federal Road Safety Corps.