9 People feared dead auto crash along the Owerri-Okigwe Road during downpour in Imo State

Owerri – Tragedy struck late Sunday night in Imo State as at least nine people were feared dead following a fatal auto crash along the Owerri-Okigwe Road, near Umunachi.

The accident, which occurred during a heavy downpour, involved an articulated vehicle. While the exact cause of the crash had yet to be confirmed at the time of filing this report, eyewitnesses attributed the incident to excessive speeding despite the poor weather conditions.

“It rained heavily, yet drivers prefer to operate at high speeds. Now see what it has caused—nine people lying dead,” a local resident at the scene lamented.

Emergency services had not released an official casualty figure as of press time, but local reports indicate that the death toll may rise.

The accident comes barely weeks after a May 8 attack on the same stretch of road, during which gunmen reportedly set several vehicles ablaze in what was suspected to be an enforcement of a sit-at-home directive.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on Sunday’s incident, but community members have renewed calls for stricter traffic enforcement and improved road safety measures in the area.