FIVE persons were killed while 18 others sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle crash at the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Thursday.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the accident, which occurred near the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Plant at Ugwu Onyeama at about 3:18pm.
FRSC Route Commander, Theophilus Okoduwa, who confirmed the incident in Enugu, said 25 people were involved in the crash, comprising 13 males and 12 females.
He said 18 victims, including seven males and 11 females, sustained injuries, while four males and one female died in the crash.
According to him, the vehicles involved were a Dongfeng trailer, a Mitsubishi L300 commercial bus and a Honda car.
Okoduwa said FRSC personnel arrived at the scene within nine minutes after the incident was reported to the Sector Command at about 3:25pm.
He said the injured victims were evacuated to the nearby Tex Hospital, 9th Mile Corner, for immediate medical attention, while the remains of the five deceased were deposited at Ekochin Morgue, 9th Mile, after being confirmed dead by medical officials.
He added that traffic was diverted as efforts continued to clear the obstruction caused by the wreckage of the vehicles.
The FRSC official said preliminary investigations indicated that the crash might have been caused by wrongful overtaking and speeding.
The Corps advised motorists to exercise caution, avoid dangerous overtaking and adhere to speed limits to prevent avoidable crashes.
