At least four persons were feared dead Friday night when a heavy duty vehicle with registration number RIVERS ER 27 XA, rammed into kiosks located on Aba River Slope, popularly known as ‘Aba Waterside.’
Nigerian Pilot Sunday gathered that the vehicle, which was descending the slope from the Ikot- Ekpene Road end, lost its brakes and in an attempt to avoid colliding with vehicles queued in the hold up, swerved to the other side of the road crashing into kiosks located near Pepple Road.
It was further gathered that some vehicles, including tricycles, were smashed in the incident.
The incident, which occurred around 7pm, caused heavy vehicular and human traffic.
According to an eyewitness, it took several hours before the victims who were trapped under the vehicle were released.
The eyewitness said “the situation was so bad that people had to walk home.”
Nigerian Pilot Sunday reports that the accident which resulted following a road block mounted on the bridge by some police men has elicited public outcry.
The situation had in several occasions caused heavy human and vehicle traffic leading to auto crashes.
But speaking to this paper, a resident who would not want his name in print decried the situation, saying “I wonder the rationale behind those checkpoints on a bridge that is dilapidated and could collapse at any slightest pressure.
“How can a reasonable person allow heavy duty vehicles stand on the bridge for a long period,” he said.