Nigeria, October 13, 2015, (Blank NEWS Online) –
It was black Sunday for the people of Ibughubu Village as no less than 13 persons including two masquerades were on Sunday evening crushed to death at Ibughubu Village in Umuchu, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State by a truck carrying log of woods.
The incident it was learnt occurred at about 5:30 PM that black Sunday, October 11, 2015 from a Mercedes Benz 911 lorry with registration number Enugu LG 66-BBG.
It was also learnt that the truck had a brake failure which made the driver lose control and rammed into a crowd of people from the town celebrating this year’s new yam festival of their community with masquerades killing 13 of them.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Anambra State Police Command, Mr. Ali Okechukwu however said only 11 people died with 21 injured. The dead bodies he said had been deposited in a hospital morgue in the area, while the injured are receiving treatment in the hospital.
Even the survival of those who were rushed to the hospital during the incident which occurred when indigenes trooped to the market square to watch masquerades after their annual new yam festival held the previous day, could not be guaranteed
It was also reported that some masquerades were involved in the incident as many properties were destroyed including market structures and vehicles parked within the market.
I was learnt that the driver of the trailer loaded with logs of wood who lost control after the trailer’s brake failed as the vehicle was descending a slope on the expressway by the market, survived the incident with his assistant and were apprehended by some irate youths in the community who wanted to mob them.
Some community leaders however, rescued them and handed them over to the police at Umuchu division.
The community has since been thrown into mourning as about three ambulances and police vehicles quickly conveyed the corpses to the mortuary and ferried the injured to Visitation hospital, Umuchu.
Meanwhile, Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano, was almost in tears when he visited the community. He promised to take care of the hospital bills of all the injured and to also cater for the immediate families of the victims.
Governor Obiano commiserated with the traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Goddy Ezechukwu, and the people for losing lives while celebrating an annual festival. He promised to start palliative work on Umuchu-Umunze road to make it more motorable.
The governor directed the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to make sure that no motorist exceeds the speed limit and also to be on the lookout for reckless drivers.
He called on the FRSC to henceforth confiscate any vehicle that is not road worthy and to stop them from plying any of the roads in Anambra State.
The victims mostly the indigenes had gathered at the market square to watch masquerades after the their annual new yam festival held the previous day when the incident happened. 
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