NAOMPON|19 October 2017
Nine passengers including a suckling baby on Wednesday, Umuahia at about 2pm narrowly survived what would have been termed yet another Peace Mass Transit (PMT) 18-seater bus ghastly motor accident.
About 13 passengers were on board the vehicle bearing bus number PMT-2530 from Ikom en route Port Harcourt, many of whom were heading for a relative traditional marriage and wedding ceremony to hold on Thursday and Saturday, our reporter reliably gathered.
The accident is not unconnected to the bus ill-fated tire that pulled out causing the vehicle to lost control summer-saulting severally into a dense nearby bush causing several severe head, chest and waist injuries, a passenger Mrs. Margaret Mfam told our correspondent on telephone.
Mrs. Mfam frowned that apart from the fact that their journeys were cut short all casualties were evacuated via an ambulance and abandoned at the mercies of doctors at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) who cared very little for them claiming they had neither heard from PMT nor received pay to commence full treatment on the passengers. As at press time, the patient was still waiting haplessly without adequate attention.
Three hours after the accident happened our reporter reached PMT nationwide public relations officer on 08056….48 at 17:31pm, who at that moment said “I am not sure such a thing happened, else they would have told me…,” but minutes later at 17:38pm he and Aba PMT public relations officer with telephone number 08056…17 confirmed the incident.
However, both the nationwide and Aba PRO gave different accounts of the figures affected by the accident while claiming that the injuries sustained were only minor ones. But later admitted that some sustained severe injuries when our reporter told them that he has been in touch with the casualties.
In addition, three hours since the accident took place, the duo told our correspondent that they were still making arrangement for their branch office management in Umuhiah to get in touch with FMC to commence treatment on those terribly injured by the accident.
But as it stands passengers journey, including those heading for Thursday and Saturday marriage ceremony have been cut short for the day as they will have to spend the night in the hospital at Umuahia.
