By Salim Yunusa
Hell was practically let loose on Friday at Awka, the Anambra State capital, as angry youths ran riot, setting a truck loaded with cows on fire.
The mob was irked by the reported killing of eight children by the truck (trailer), which ran over the unfortunate kids and others who suffered injuries.
It was learned that the victims were hawking wares at a traffic-light point around Kwata Flyover Junction in Awka town when they were crushed to death by the articulated vehicle.
An eyewitness account said that the driver of the trailer apparently lost control at the busy junction and rammed into a stretch of nine vehicles at the traffic light, killing eight people (mainly children) in the process.
Youths, who were angered by the development, quickly mobilised and set ablaze the lorry, together with the cows, it was conveying.
“The accident happened when a truck conveying cattle to an unknown location lost control while descending the Kwata junction slope, knocking dead eight hawkers and injuring four occupants of two other SUVs”, a source said.
The eyewitness, however, could not ascertain the condition of the driver and his assistant.
At the time of filing this report, men of the Anambra State Fire Service had arrived the scene to extinguish the fire while soldiers and policemen, who had cordoned off the scene, fired several shots into the air to disperse the riotous youths.
The Anambra State Police Command was yet to make a formal statement on the incident.
