By Milcah Tanimu

A tragic incident unfolded yesterday as a mature tree toppled onto a commercial minibus, leading to the death of one passenger and leaving others injured in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.

According to reports from The Guardian, the accident occurred during the early hours of Tuesday on the Murtala Muhammed Highway, near the Cross River State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) office within the Calabar Municipal Local Council.

The minibus was reportedly en route to 8 Mile when the unfortunate incident took place. The trees, which were initially planted by the state government over two decades ago to enhance the city’s aesthetics, are still being cared for to maintain the city’s appearance.

An individual named Greg, who witnessed the incident, stated, “I was seated in front of my house when I heard a loud sound and noticed a rush of people towards the scene. The minibus was carrying passengers at the time of the tree’s collapse. I suspect the tree was quite old. My concerns go out to the driver and the passengers.”

A Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) who was present during the accident confirmed, “One person lost their life immediately, and the remaining individuals were promptly taken to a nearby hospital, with some of them sustaining severe injuries.”

Upon The Guardian’s visit to the accident site, the deceased person’s remains and the injured passengers had already been transported to an undisclosed hospital. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies and the Ministry of Environment were involved in the process of segmenting the fallen tree into logs.