Three die in Anambra road crash

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Three persons were killed and four others injured on Friday when a commercial truck somersaulted and caught fire near St. Jude Catholic Church, Adazi-Ani, along the Nnobi–Agulu–Awka Road in Anambra State.

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Eyewitnesses at the scene said the victims, all male, were heading to their various workplaces when the driver of the vehicle conveying them lost control, crashed into a roadside barricade and somersaulted.

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According to the eyewitnesses, the vehicle trapped some passengers and engulfed in flames, adding that the incident occurred at about 10am on Friday.

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Although the eyewitnesses could not confirm the exact number of casualties, the Federal Road Safety Corps put the death toll at three.

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One of the eyewitnesses said, “The driver of the vehicle was descending the road when the vehicle failed brakes and he lost control, thereby plunging into the barricade, killing some people instantly and injuring others.

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“The accident occurred at about 10am on Friday. The vehicle engulfed in flames while the victims were still trapped. Some of the community members and passersby did a first emergency response in evacuating the trapped victims before the arrival of transport officials at the scene.

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“The road is very narrow and the absence of an alternative bridge that would allow vehicles ascending and descending the hilly stretch to use separate lanes is always causing traffic crashes along that corridor.”

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The Sector Public Education Officer, FRSC Anambra State Command, Margaret Onabe, confirmed the crash in a statement, adding that it involved a Mercedes-Benz 608 commercial truck with registration number XB270NNL.

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Onabe said preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle suffered a mechanical failure while in motion, caught fire and the driver subsequently lost control.

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The statement read, “The Federal Road Safety Corps, Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed a fatal lone road traffic crash that occurred on Friday, July 17, 2026, at about 10am near St. Jude Catholic Church, Adazi-Ani, along the Nnobi–Agulu–Awka Road.

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“The crash involved a Mercedes-Benz 608 commercial truck with registration number XB270NNL. Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle suffered a mechanical failure while in motion, caught fire, and the driver subsequently lost control.

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“The truck crashed into a roadside barricade, somersaulted, and trapped some occupants as it became engulfed in flames. A total of seven male occupants were involved in the crash. Three persons lost their lives, while four others sustained serious injuries.

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“FRSC rescue personnel received the distress call at 10:35am and arrived at the scene by 10:45am, recording a response time of 10 minutes.”

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