Two persons have been confirmed dead after a bicycle conveying two youths rammed into a commercial jeep along Okigwe road in Owerri, Imo state, on Christmas Eve.
Eyewitnesses said the victims were returning from a football training session in Orji, Owerri north local government area, when the collision occurred.
They said the crash was head-on and the youths died instantly at the scene, causing a traffic gridlock on the busy Okigwe road, leaving Christmas travellers stranded.
Eyewitnesses said traffic wardens struggled to control the situation as some youths reportedly swarmed the area, triggering a stampede that worsened the congestion.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the deceased were from Amatta in Ikeduru local government area.
The source said the bodies were later evacuated by an ambulance and taken to a mortuary.
Henry Okoye, police public relations officer in Imo, said investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the Orji accident that claimed two lives.