‘Marshy Terrain Hinders Rescue of Vehicle Trapped in Ebonyi Mining’

Marshy terrain in Abakaliki, Ebonyi capital where a vehicle plunged into a pit has hindered rescue operations 48 hours after the incident occurred.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the yet to be identified vehicle plunged into the abandoned mining pit on Saturday but efforts to rescue the passengers failed due to poor visibility as the incident happened in the evening.
NAN correspondent who was at the scene of the rescue operation yesterday at Enyigba in Abakaliki, reported that efforts by the crane provided by the state government failed as the pit was water logged.

Governor Dave Umahi, who visited the scene of the incident, was seen supervising the rescue operations and dishing out instructions on how to save the unverified passengers trapped in the pit.

The governor was accompanied to the scene by the Commissioner of Police in the State, Aliyu Garba, heads of other security agencies and top government officials.

According to NAN, scores of people watched the rescue efforts. The onlookers were however, disappointed as the vehicle went off the crane’s hook whenever the equipment tried retrieving it from the flooded pit.
Ebonyi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Loveth Odah, told NAN that rescue efforts would continue on Monday(today).

“All efforts made to retrieve the vehicle failed as it remains unidentified with the passengers inside it.
“We are still hoping for the best and urge the people to remain calm,” she said.

Chairman of neigbouring Ikwo Local Government Area (LGA), Chief Stephen Orogwu, described the incident as unfortunate, noting that the marshy terrain of the area made rescue efforts difficult.

“The pit is several feet beneath the ground as local, external and construction experts have been contracted to retrieve the vehicle,” he said.

An eye witness, who spoke under the condition of anonymity had earlier told NAN that he was driving behind the vehicle when it suddenly veered from the road and plunged into the pit.