12 die in Oyo-Ogbomoso auto crash as bus plunges into river

Ola Ajayi, Ibadan
No fewer than 12 people reportedly died in an
accident on Oyo/Ogbomoso Road when a
commuter bus skidded off the road and plunged
into Odo-Oba River yesterday.
According to eye witnesses, the accident
occurred when the bus was trying to avoid a
head on collision with an articulated vehicle
that lost control and veered off its lane.
Oyo State Sector Commander of the Federal
Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Yusuf
Salami and the Police Public Relations Officer,
Oyo State Command, SP Adekunle Ajisebutu,
confirmed the accident.
The police spokesperson said the bodies of the
victims had been taken to Ladoke Akintola
University of Technology Teaching Hospital,
Ogbomoso.
Ajisebutu said, “The driver of the Mazda bus
lost control of the vehicle and plunged into the
Odo-Oba River. Nine adults and three kids died
on the spot and their bodies have been
deposited at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in
Ogbomoso. There were three survivors. The
police, with assistance from local drivers,
pulled the bodies and passengers out of the
river. The vehicle is still in the river.”
In his own account, Salami said. “From the
report I had, the bus was travelling to Ilorin
and as it approached the slope leading to the
small bridge over the river, an articulated truck
took over the path of the road and, in an effort
to avoid collision with it, the bus driver veered
off the road and plunged into the river.
“It was difficult pulling the passengers out of
the river despite volunteer rescuers that arrived
at the scene early. 12 people died
immediately.”- vanguard news