By Lawrence Njoku, Enugu

Tragedy occurred on Sunday night as 13 Passengers traveling in a Toyota bus were burnt to death at the Four-Corner Junction, Enugu south council, near Enugu State metropolis.

The Guardian gathered that the victims, apparently attempting to beat the Monday’s sit at home in the southeast region had decided to board the 14-seater bus on Sunday night from Imo to Adamawa state.

They were however involved in a head-on collision with a trailer and their bus immediately exploded at the four-corner junction in Enugu state.

The accident, sources said occurred at about 10. 50pm close to an army checkpoint. It was said to have attracted the soldiers, who made a futile effort to rescue the victims.

The soldiers reportedly alerted the officials of the Road Safety and Fire Service. Their intervention however could not save the victims who were burnt beyond recognition.

The source further said that most of the occupants of the bus were in deep sleep, resulting in their inability to sail to safety quickly when the accident occurred.

He said that one of the occupants who survived had jumped out from the window of the bus and rushed to the nearby University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital(UNTH) Enugu.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) took the charred bodies of the victims to the morgue of the UNTH.

The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Enugu State command, Mr. Joseph Toby, confirmed the incident, said he could not give the number of casualties until they were through with work at the scene.

He said he and his men rushed to the scene after he received the information about the accident and stayed there with the men of the fire service till 2am Monday morning.

He added that they had to return to the scene on Monday morning to evacuate the wreckage from the road despite the sit-at-home situation in the state.