Hundreds of motorists have been stranded due to the gridlock caused by a 40-foot container truck that crashed on the Onitsha-Owerri Motorway in Anambra State.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the driver was conveying the container to a destination in Onitsha Market when he lost control of the truck, causing it to fall on the road, leaving a narrow path for other motorists to ply.
The situation exacerbated traffic because emergency responders had abandoned the truck at the location since Thursday.
Commercial drivers, discouraged by the road situation, were said to have avoided the axis, leaving commuters stranded.
However, commercial drivers who use the axis to transport passengers to their destinations are said to have raised the transportation fare.
The gridlock remained as of the time of filing this report on Sunday, as the truck had yet to be evacuated from the road.
During a visit to the scene to assess the situation on Sunday, our correspondent saw emergency responders, including naval officials, controlling the traffic on the expressway.
A commuter, who identified herself simply as Madam Chioma, said people had been suffering on the expressway since Thursday because of the container that fell on the road.
“It is a pity that for three days now, nothing has been done to remove it from the road. The rain that fell on Friday worsened the situation as it caused some sections to be muddy and forced commercial vehicles and tricycles to disembark their passengers halfway. People had to trek to their destinations,” she said.
Reacting, an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent as she was not authorised to speak regarding the matter, said the response team were waiting for the arrival of a crane.
She urged motorists to exercise restraint and comply with the directive of the response team.