No fewer than 25 people were feared dead, yesterday in an accident on the Ojo-Iwo Road section of the Ibadan-Lagos expressway, near the Agbowo/Ajao area in Oyo State.
Also, the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday, said 12 persons were burnt to death, while four others sustained injuries, in an accident that occurred on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The accident occurred when a trailer loaded with roofing sheets collided with an 18-seater Hummer bus, a Micra taxi, and a Honda CR-V car.
But Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, officials said: “16 people were killed, 16 injured while two were not injured.”
Giving further statistics, FRSC officials said the accident victims include 14 male adults, 10 female adults and 11 children.
According to FRSC, Iwo Road command, a commercial bus with number plate, MUB 20 LG, Micra taxi with number plate, BDJ 520 YC, a CRV with number plate, KRD 707 ER and articulated truck with registration number AKM 548 ZY were involved in the accident.
Meanwhile, according to eyewitness reports at the scene, the trailer involved in the accident experienced brake failure, causing it to collide with three other vehicles travelling in the same direction, which resulted in a devastating crash.
Narrating the incident to Vanguard, Mr. Emmanuel Omotoso and Mrs. Funmi Adejumo, said the ongoing construction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway could be responsible for the fatality as the other lane of the expressway was blocked.
However, the motorists appealed to Oyo State government to buy heavy towing vehicles and ambulance buses for rescue operations in case of emergency situation like the one that just occurred.
They equally called on the contractor handling the road construction to open up the other lane that was blocked to prevent future accidents that claim many lives every day on Ojo-Iwo Road expressway.
At press time, private heavy towing vehicles were instrumental in removing trapped vehicles from the scene and some of the rescued passengers were transported to the hospital for medical attention.
The accidented vehicles were taken to Irepodun Police Station along Agbowo/Ojoo by the police.
12 burnt to death in Lagos-Ibadan road
According to a statement by the Ogun State Sector Command spokesperson of the FRSC, Mrs. Florence Okpe, the crash involved one white Mazda bus with number plate, DDA733XA.
She said the crash occurred at 1514hrs.
Okpe said: “The crash involved one vehicle with the following details: White Mazda bus with number plate, DDA733XA.
“Total number of people involved in the accident were 16, which comprised 12 male adults, three female adults and one female child. Four male passengers were injured in the crash and rescued while the other 12 persons were burnt to death.
“The injured victims were taken to Patmag Hospital, Ogere.
“The suspected cause of the lone accident was wrongful overtaking by the bus driver, which led to loss of control and the bus hitting the road divider at the middle of the road. The bus fell and was engulfed in flames immediately.”
She added that the Sector Commander, Ogun Sector Command, Akinwunmi Fasakin, was pained over the recklessness of some motorists on the highway, who refuse to obey traffic rules.
She urged motorists to maintain the stipulated speed on the highway and also ensure a clear road before overtaking and commiserated with the crash victims and wished them quick recovery.
VANGUARD
