As of the time of filling this report, rescue operation had not started as angry sympathisers trooped to the scene, making bonfires and chanting anti-government songs calling for the rescue of the trapped tricycle passengers.

The accident, which happened at Onitsha Owerri Road by Mgbemena road junction at about 7:30 am, the peak of traders’ movement on the road, left three people already dead, while others are still being trapped under the container.

Angered by the accident and the bad condition of the road, tricycle operators immediately withdrew their services to the people, demanding the rescue of the passengers and their colleagues trapped under the container.

Vanguard can confirm that for the past five months, residents of Onitsha have been calling in on Brilla Sports Radio programme “Outside Arina” and Wazobia Radio traffic programmes, complaining about the road and appealing to the Anambra State Government to fix it.

According to an eyewitness who simply gave his name as Ebuka, a tricycle operator on Onitsha Owerri Road, who said he was following the trailer at the back before the accident happened, disclosed that the driver of the trailer, like other road users, drove on one lane of the Onitsha Owerri road due to the impassable nature of the dual carriage road.

He said, “As you can see, people are taking one side of the road instead of the two sides of the road they are supposed to pass through, because the road is impassable and people are taking one way of the road now.

“As I was following the trailer on the back with the passengers I was carrying, I discovered that the trailer after maneuvering its way by managing to pass the impassable area and as it tried to negotiate its way into the others side to towards, the container shifter and before people could raise the alarm for the Keke operators by its side in our front to exit the scene for safety, the container fell on them and they got trapped.

“One of the people the container fell on and killed instantly was a former Manager of Aris Filling station, who recently joined Keke operating business and has been plying this Onitsha Owerri Road. In fact, he plied this road yesterday, but you can see he has lost his life because the government refused to listen to the cry and appeal of the people to fix the road.

“As I am talking to you now, three people have lost their lives and others are still trapped under the container, and there is no hope they will survive by the time the container is lifted from them. This is so callous of the Anambra State Government; this road has been neglected for over four months now.

“We cry everyday following the condition of this road, we make calls on radio stations on daily basis, calling on government to come and fix this important road but they ignore our calls and appeals.

“Tricycle operators and angry sympathisers following the avoidable accident started making bonfires and in the process blocked the road. There is no movement here now, we are demanding the rescue of the trapped people; otherwise nobody will pass through Onitsha Owerri Road today.”

An angry sympathiser, who gave his name as Chinedu, told Vanguard that if the Anambra State Government had listened to the cry of the people on the road, the accident would not have happened.

According to Chinedu, “We have a government in this state and Upper Iweka to Owerri road, up to Metallurgical Training Institute, MTI, Onitsha, is impassable, is a shame. Now people have died this morning and many are trapped under the container; they will shamefully come now to fix the road.

“They are busy campaigning for re-election and the roads the people are passing through, particularly a strategic road like Onitsha Owerri Road from Upper Iweka to Electrical Market, is impassable. Shame on them!

“As I’m talking with you now, the wife of the former Aris Filling station manager has arrived at the scene with the brothers of her husband; they are all crying uncontrollably for the loss of her husband and their brother.

“Also, a towing van has arrived the scene with Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials and men of the Okpoko Police Station, they have started clearing the road to enable rescue operation to commence for the trapped tricycle operators and their passengers.”