One Dead, Many Injured As Tree Falls On Mini Bus I In Calabar

One person has reportedly been confirmed dead after a tree planted by the Donald Duke’s government more than twenty years ago fell on a mini bus in Calabar, Cross River State capital.

Our correspondent gathered that the accident, which occurred on Tuesday morning at Murtala Mohammed Highway in front of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) offfice in Calabar Municipality, claimed the life of a male passenger, while many others got various degrees of injuries.

An eyewitness who simply gave his name as Edet said: “The vehicle was coming from 8 miles towards Calabar-Calabar when the tree, planted for shade and beautification fell on it.

“The minibus was filled with passengers. The tree got torn from the root and fell on the vehicle. I fear for the driver and the passengers,” Edet said.

He added: “These trees are old, they should be replaced. It’s becoming too much of this kind of incident in the metropolis.”

A Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) official at the scene confirmed that that one person died on the spot, but explained that efforts were made to rush the rest of the passengers to the hospital.

“One person died on the spot and the rest were rushed to the nearby hospital. Some of them were seriously injured,” the VIO Official who refused to give his name said.

At the time of filing this report, the accident scene was a beehive of security activities with law enforcement officers, ranging from VIO, TRAMMA, NSCDC, and others, trying to cut the tree as well as remove the squeezed vehicle.

It would be recalled that two years ago, New Telegraph hasd reported on the menace of such incidents which regularly blocked the road and create dangers for commuters.

The former Governor Donald Duke’s administration planted the trees more over 20 years ago and they are without tap roots.

Source : New Telegraph