It was a black Saturday for the people of Ikwo Local Government Area and Ebonyi State as a vehicle fully loaded with passengers said to be travelling to their village, plunged into a mining pit at Enyigba Community in Ikwo council Area.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 5 pm on Saturday.
One of the eyewitnesses and a lecturer with Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNIA), Pastor Akachukwu Offia, described the accident as “an ugly incident.”
He said: “A vehicle fell into a pit! Driving from Abakaliki a little distance away from the Royal Salt Mining Company some minutes ago, I observed a white vehicle driving along the same direction. And suddenly, the car fell into one of the mining pits full of water and just very close to the road. It was like a dream to me while I followed the vehicle a little distance from behind. I quickly stopped other vehicles from both sides to observe the true position of the accident and while we observed more closely, we discovered much ripples of the water due to the fall but could not sight the vehicle nor the passengers.
“I quickly rushed with another private car owner to the Royal Salt Company to report the accident and seek for urgent rescue but the rest were more of protocols which could not render an immediate help.
“Who were the passengers in the vehicle? Whose relatives were they? How could we rescue their dead bodies after about 40 minutes of no immediate solution. And when shall that particular pit and others close by be covered with earth? I was shocked and also wept at the ugly sight. May the LORD repose their souls, amen.”
Also, another eyewitness, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that the vehicle was on top speed that afternoon.
He said hewas travelling behind them and suddenly sighted them from far running into the mining pit near Royal Salt Company by Enyigba in Ikwo Local Government Area.
According to him, both the vehicle and passengers inside were yet to be sighted.
He then called on the general public, especially Ikwo people, to put calls to their friends, family and colleagues who might have travelled on Saturday
Other witnesses described the incident as unfortunate and regretted why the Royal Salt Company refused to assist in the rescue. They called on government to intervene and ensure that the pit is closed to avoid a repeat occurrence.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Police spokesperson, DSP Loveth Odah, were not fruitful as her number was not reachable as at the time of filing this report.
Culled from the Tribune News Nigeria
