Three persons have been confirmed dead following a road crash involving an ambulance conveying the remains of an elderly woman for burial and a commercial tricycle in Umuahia, Abia State.

The accident occurred on Thursday at the Big Gutter axis along Aba Road. It was gathered that two passengers in the tricycle died on the spot, while a third victim later succumbed to injuries at the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.

Eyewitnesses said the ambulance, driven by a woman, was allegedly speeding when it collided with the tricycle, which was reportedly coming from the Ubakala–Old Umuahia route.

The impact of the crash drew a crowd of sympathisers to the scene, who subsequently alerted police operatives. Officers arrived shortly after and assisted in evacuating the injured victims to the Federal Medical Centre, where they received emergency treatment.

Although official confirmation is still pending, some residents who witnessed the incident attributed the crash to possible overspeeding by the ambulance driver.

An eyewitness who requested anonymity said the ambulance was transporting the body of a 77-year-old woman to the Isi Court area of Umuahia for burial when the incident occurred.

As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been issued by relevant authorities in Abia State. However, the Federal Road Safety Corps, Abia State Sector Command, confirmed that the incident had not yet been formally reported to its office.