Tragedy struck in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday as two female candidates sitting for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) lost their lives in a road accident while returning from their examination centre.
The students were travelling on a commercial motorcycle when it collided with a moving truck along the Choba Bridge axis of the East-West Road. The motorcyclist also died in the crash.
Witnesses said the victims had just completed their examination at Odoha Community Secondary School in Emohua Local Government Area before embarking on the journey home.
According to an eyewitness, the school is located about 30 minutes from the scene of the accident.
The girls had finished writing their WAEC papers at Odoha Community Secondary School in Emohua and were heading back when the accident happened. Sadly, the two students and the okada rider died,” the witness said.
The accident occurred in Choba, the host community of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
Several other persons reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries in the crash and were rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical attention.
Officials from the Choba Divisional Police Headquarters have appealed for calm among residents, assuring that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.
The incident has cast a shadow over the ongoing WASSCE examinations, with residents mourning the loss of the young students whose lives were cut short shortly after sitting for their papers.
