It was a gory sight to behold at the Glorious International Academy, located at No 44 Opobo road, Ogbor Hill area of Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia state when a truck lost control and broke into a classroom killing 8 school children while 20 others sustained various injuries.
The pupils, who have concluded their examinations, were said to have gathered for the morning devotion with an end of the year party to be held later in the day when the truck with Reg. no: Akwa Ibom AA 702 KTA on its way to carry sand rammed into the fence of the school.
Said an eyewitness,” The pupils have concluded their examinations and returned to the school to have their end of the year party today. The Tipper truck just broke into this school when they were gathered for morning devotion. I came here to know if my niece in the Nursery section was involved. Thank God she is safe. I saw about 8 of them dead. Most of them were badly injured. I don’t how the driver could not direct the truck to the other side only to kill these innocent children.”
When our reporter visited the scene, policemen from the Azuka Division led by their DPO, Helen Nze and the Federal Road Safety Corps were seen taking notes while sympathizers clustered in groups lamenting the disaster. The classroom which was connected to fence and ripped open by the truck was filled with blood, broken chairs, desks, packets, biscuits, plates and clothes which may have been gathered for the end of the year party.
Some parents and relations who have their ward registered in the school wailed, throwing themselves on the ground and calling the names of their children while others made inquiries if their wards were among those in the hospital or morgue.
247ureports.com gathered that the pupils whose conditions are critical are receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital in the city while others not affected were sent home.
As at the time our reporter left the scene, none of the school teachers were available for comments but several sympathizers were engaged in a heated argument over the location of the affected classroom which was constructed from the fence, blaming the accident on its proximity to the road while others disagreed.
