At least 10 people lost their lives, while three others sustained varying degrees of injuries in an accident that occurred along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Expressway on Friday.
It was gathered that the accident occurred when a vehicle conveying 15 occupants plunged off the Omu Bridge at the Awa Ijebu axis of the expressway.
PUNCH Online gathered from a source in the area, identified simply as TMC, that the vehicle was at high speed on Saturday when it lost control and plunged into the river below the bridge.
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Videos from the scene captured some passengers lying motionless, while sympathisers were seen making efforts to rescue others from the vehicle, which had become trapped in the river.
TMC said, “A tragic accident involving an 18-passenger bus en route from Ijebu Ode to Ibadan occurred a few hours ago on the bridge after Awa, with the bus crashing into the river, possibly due to overspeeding, resulting in about 12 fatalities.”
Speaking with PUNCH Online on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident and noted that the crash took place around 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
He mentioned that emergency responders could not reach the scene until the early hours of Saturday.
He stated that the vehicle involved in the crash was a Mitsubishi bus with registration number EJ829-LSR.
Akinbiyi added that “according to eyewitness account, wrongful overtaking while on high speed led to failure of the driver to maintain control after noticing an oncoming vehicle.
“The bus driver veered into the bush and rammed into a stone base (gravel) already abandoned on the road beside the bridge, which made the vehicle dive into the river entirely.
“15 people were involved, three injured and 10 (three females and seven males) dead. Two people, including a toddler and an adult, escaped unhurt.”
The TRACE spokesperson added that the remains of the deceased were taken to the morgue at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital.
“The bodies of the dead and injured victims have been taken to the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue.
“While TRACE, POLICE, and the FRSC commiserate with the family of the victims, motorists are again warned against excessive speed and night travel given its attendant consequences,” Akinbiyi concluded.
