Tragedy struck in the Enugu metropolis as five persons, including a pregnant woman, died in an auto crash along the ever-busy Enugu-Ugwogo-Opi Nsukka Road in Enugu East Council Area.

The accident was said to have occurred on Thursday evening close to Elim Estate in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The accident involved a tricycle conveying five passengers, including the pregnant woman and a water tanker.

An eyewitness, who gave his name as Ojiakor Marcel, told our correspondent on Friday that the driver of the had a headlong collision with the water tanker while trying to overtake a truck in the single carriageway.

“The keke (tricycle) driver did a wrong overtaking on this road. Just as he entered the overtaking position, a water tanker was approaching and he was between the truck and the oncoming tanker.

“From what I observed, he entered under the tanker and all of them in the keke died.”

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Asked how many persons were inside the tricycle, he said, “The keke was conveying three persons at the back and one person in the front plus the driver making them five.

“When people, including the police from the Unity Police Station, came to help bring out the victims from under the tanker, we found out that one of the passengers was heavily pregnant and she died with her baby.”

While describing the incident as unfortunate, the eyewitness said that the policemen helped in moving the remains of the deceased to the morgue.

However, while confirming the incident, Enugu State Police Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said only two persons died from the crash while one person was in the hospital, responding to treatment.

“Investigation is ongoing into the case of fatal motor accident that occurred along Ibagwa-Nike Road, involving a tanker and tricycle, in which two persons (a male and female) who sustained injuries, were rushed to a nearby hospital and confirmed dead by doctors on duty; while one other is responding to treatment,” Ndukwe said.