From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri

At least ten people were allegedly killed in a ghastly motor accident involving a Luxurious bus almost fully loaded and an empty sand tipper along Onitsha/Owerri road ,precisely at Orogwe market bus stop in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State on Friday. 

An eye witness who disclosed the gorry incident to our correspondent said the Luxurious bus belonging to the Lords Chosen Ministry was conveying members of the church from Lagos State to their program scheduled to commence on Saturday in Owerri when the incident occurred.

According to the source who narrated how the incident occurred said that the Luxurious bus which was on a high speed tried to avoid the tipper coming out from a bend at about 6 am from an adjoining road along the highway before it unfortunately rammed into passengers at the bus stop waiting for vehicle to go to work.

The source also disclosed that in an attempt to dodge the driver of the tipper, the bus unfortunately hit it from behind forcing it to ram into the culvert on the road.

The driver of the tipper was said to have died instantly with its conductor while the bus also allegedly crushed over ten passengers waiting to board a bus at the bus stop. But the bus driver as at the time of this report was said to have survived the incident.

“It was around 6 am this morning, we saw the bus driver carrying Chosen members may be from Lagos, the tipper was coming out from that corner,we dont know what happened, but we later heard a loud sound ,we saw that the bus had crashed into the shops at the right side of Orogwe market .

“But before it finally crashed into the shops, the bus had hit the rear of the tipper which forced it to hit the culvert. About 8 people were later removed from under the bus while the driver was still alive.

One of the survivors of the incident whike in tears said ” 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 we saw this accident.

The middle aged woman who survived with her daughter continued ” Our load is still trapped in the bus but that’s not what we’re saying now,a lot of people have been taken to the hospital, most of them were removed from under the bus.”

Another source who owned a shop at the same line the bus rammed into said ” i thank God for my life , i think my being alive is spiritual. I was battling with some flies in my house at about 5 am in the  morning, i normally resume there at about few minutes to seven but i was delayed because of the battle with the strange flies,behold when i came few minutes after ,i saw the accident. “

The shop owner who simply identify his name as Nnamdi also thanked God that the incident occurred few hours before occupants of the shops normally open for business.

Some of the indigenes of the area also claimed that a similar incident occurred four years ago at the same very spot and claiming lives.

Meanwhile , Pastor Lazarus Muoka, General Overseer of the church was expected to be live at the Owerri crusade on Saturday.