By CHARLES IWUOHA

The death toll in the Enugu-Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road lone accident has rose to 17 persons as at Wednesday morning after about 12 hours the incident occurred, says the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

It would be recalled that the Police Command in Enugu State had confirmed the instant burnt to dead of 16 passengers in a lone fatal accident involving a commercial bus along Enugu-Nike-Opi-Nsukka Road on Tuesday evening.

The Sector Commander of FRSC in Enugu State, Mr Adeyemi Sokunbi, gave the confirmation of the death of one of the surviving two persons involved in the accident on Wednesday in Enugu.

Sokunbi said that doctors at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Enugu where the two survivals were rushed to by FRSC officers, confirmed the dead of one of the victims this morning (Wednesday, May 1).

“The remaining surviving passenger, who had 64 per cent fire burn injury, is stable and responding to treatment.

“FRSC officials are on ground and we have kept a close attention on him even as we pray that the Almighty God grant him quick recovery,” he said.

The sector commander said that the FRSC had taken the death to the morgue while trying to make contact with families and friends of those affected in the unfortunate incident.

He said that from available sketchy information got so far on the commercial bus, it is likely that the bus was heading to the northern part of the country probably to Abuja and finally Kaduna.

Sokunbi said: “I am making a passionate appeal, which FRSC management had been making for years now, for our people to avoid all forms of night travel.

“While as drivers on the wheel, and even passengers being conveyed, we should not over speed and we all have responsibility to put the driver in check when he over speed.”

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the commercial bus, which is said to have been driven at high speed, lost control and plunged into the fence of Maduka University, Ekwegbe along the road.

He said that the vehicle unfortunately burst into flames burning beyond recognition, while the 16 deceased individuals burnt, were taken to the hospital and later confirmed dead.

“Two other passengers were rescued alive and taken to the hospital for medical attention by FRSC officials, police officers, soldiers and public-spirited citizens, who immediately responded to the incident,” he said.

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