By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

No fewer than seven family members on Saturday lost their lives in an auto crash along Ogidi – Abetete road, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, while on their way to a funeral ceremony.

The accident, which involved a Mercedes Benz tipper loaded with sand and a Mercedes Benz 608 bus carrying 19 persons, left many people with varying degrees of injury, including a child.

The Mercedes Benz 608 with registration No. AA205DMA was driven by one Ezeugwu Christopher while the Mercedes Benz tipper with enlistment No. XD651GDD had FC Ugwumba behind the wheels.

According to an eye witness account, the tipper rammed into the bus following a tyre burst, which resulted in loss of control.

Confirming the incident, the Sector Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Pascal Anigbo, said the corpses had been deposited at a hospital morgue, while the injured were receiving treatment.

He said: “We received a distress call on a fatal Road Traffic Crash which occurred near Buckie Polytechnic, along Ogidi – Abatete road.

“FRSC rescue team from Nteje Unit Command were immediately dispatched to the scene of the crash

“The crash involved a Mercedes Benz 608 with registration number AA205DMA driven by one Ezeugwu Christopher and a Mercedes Benz Tipper with enlistment number XD651GDD and driver’s name given as FC Ugwumba.

“Casualties involved included 17 adult males, one female adult and one female child. They were all rushed to Twinkle Hospital, Ogidi by members of the community.”