Eight students of Madonna University in Rivers State were reported to have died and 10 others suffered different degrees of burns and fractures during the auto crash in Abakaliki, in Ebonyi State.
Two of the students, who were females, that died during the auto crashes have been identified by their relatives as Grace Usman and Grace Maina.
The identities of Maina and Usman were revealed after their relatives took to social media to mourn their deaths during the auto crash.
Meanwhile, the identities of the others were yet to be ascertained as the school and relatives were still trying to identify those that were involved in the accident.
As gathered, the bus conveying the students to their hometown in Taraba State suddenly had an accident with a Toyota Sienna bus and went up in flames, burning the eight students to death.
The survivors, sources said, were those that escaped from the vehicle through the window when the fire that consumed their colleagues suddenly started.
On Monday, The Guild gathered that the accident occurred in the early hours on Sunday after they left their school on Saturday evening so as to arrive in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital, early.
Eyewitnesses narrated that the accident occurred when the vehicle was about navigating the TTC/Special Science School junction along the trans-Saharan road in Abakaliki.
Our correspondent learnt that the survivors were rushed by passersby to the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital Hospital in Abakaliki where they have been receiving treatments.
The identities of the students were said not to have been detected until a staff of the medical facility appealed for prayers on social media for the victims.
She noted that victims who managed to escape suffered multiple fractures, while some suffered varying degrees of burns while escaping from the vehicle.
According to her, “Working in the hospital can be very depressing sometimes. A bus carrying Madonna students traveling for the elections collided with a Sienna and the bus burnt. Now, these poor kids are in the Accident and Emergency section all in pain.
“Those that managed to jump out all have multiple fractures. In and out of surgeries since last night. The burns units, OR, and A&E staff haven’t rested since last night. So far, we haven’t lost any. Keep praying for them.”
Meanwhile, one of the parents of the deceased took to his page to express pain over the loss of his daughter, saying, “Grace Usman Ezra, I never knew sending you to Madonna university will lead to your untimely death.18 of you left Madonna to Jalingo yesterday only to hear the news that your bus had an accident and caught fire, 8 out of 18 came out from the bus. It is well with 10 of you and the rest that are alive, I pray for your speedy recovery, and may God comfort us all that lost our children.”
It was learnt that the students left the school in compliance with the Federal Government directives that tertiary institutions be shut down to allow students that have obtained their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to cast their votes during the upcoming general election in the country.
