At least 10 worshippers lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries following a tragic accident at the Orogwe market bus stop in the Owerri Local Government Area of Imo State.
The incident, which involved a luxurious bus and an empty sand tipper, happened yesterday (Friday).
According to an eyewitness, the luxurious bus owned by the Lord’s Chosen Ministry was transporting church members from Lagos State to a program scheduled to begin on Saturday in Owerri when the accident occurred.
Reportedly, the accident unfolded as the luxurious bus, traveling at high speed, attempted to avoid the tipper emerging from an adjacent road along the highway. In an effort to swerve away, the bus collided with the tipper from behind, causing it to crash into a culvert on the road.
Tragically, the driver and conductor of the tipper were pronounced dead at the scene, while the bus allegedly struck over ten passengers waiting to board vehicles at the bus stop. Remarkably, the bus driver survived the ordeal.
An eyewitness shared, “It was around 6 am this morning, and we saw the bus driver carrying Chosen members, maybe from Lagos, the tipper was coming out from that corner. We don’t know what happened, but we later heard a loud sound, we saw that the bus had crashed into the shops on the right side of Orogwe market.”
Rescue efforts were challenging, with approximately eight individuals retrieved from beneath the bus. A survivor recounted, “We’re many in that vehicle, I don’t know if it’s full or not but our loads were also inside, we were going to our church program in Owerri when the accident happened.”
However, this tragedy has evoked memories of a similar incident that occurred four years ago at the same location, resulting in loss of lives.
The community mourns the lives lost and prays for the swift recovery of those injured in this devastating accident.
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