IT was a black Saturday, yesterday, as a trip to a joyous occasion turned to sadness for no fewer than 15 persons who died in an auto crash along the Abeokuta-Siun-Sagamu Expressway in Ogun State.
The victims, said to be members of the African Church Solution Camp along Ewang Estate in Abeokuta, the state capital, were traveling to Lagos to attend the wedding ceremony of one of their members.
The Nigerian Compass on Sunday gathered that the accident occurred about 8.00am when an articulated vehicle marked Lagos JJJ 489 XB rammed into an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus belonging to Lukdos Transport Company.Eye witnesses said the truck was coming from an opposite direction when it lost control at Ototo village, few kilometers from the state capital.
The commercial bus, with registration number Ogun XF 795 AAB, was seriously mangled following the collision as a result of which some of the passengers died on the spot while others lost their lives on the way to the hospital.
An infant of less than a year was also said to be among the casualties.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), state Fire Service, Ogun State Ambulance Services, Nigeria Police and Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) reportedly rushed to the scene to evacuate the victims.
Speaking with reporters, the TRACE coordinator, Mr. Sola Bamidele, who was at the accident scene, blamed the crash on recklessness on the part of the truck driver.
Bamidele, who stated that the commercial bus took off from Abeokuta, said the agency was trying to get in touch with the owners of the vehicle to get the manifest of the passengers.
Also, the coordinating officer of Ogun State Ambulance Services, Dr. Hassan Adelakun, confirmed that the remains of the victims have been deposited at the morgues of State Hospital, Ijaiye and Federal Medical Centre(FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
State Sector Commander, FRSC, Ayo Omiyale, however, confirmed that nine people died in the accident.
Omiyale explained that 15 people, including five males, nine females and one child, were involved in the crash.
"We are still trying to ascertain the exact number of those killed as it is speculated that some sympathizers had taken some wounded people away. But nine persons, which included an infant of less than a year, were confirmed," he stated.
However, barely five hours after, another accident at Kobape area, along the same highway, occurred about 2:00 p.m. yesterday, leaving four people seriously wounded.
The accident involved a black Honda Accord I-VTEC car with registration number Lagos UD 828 AAA and a black Toyota Camry car marked Ogun AQ 907 AKM.
Eye witnesses said the driver of the Honda vehicle lost control and came from another lane to ram into the Toyota Camry car which was coming from Abeokuta.
Bamidele, who stated that the commercial bus took off from Abeokuta, said the agency was trying to get in touch with the owners of the vehicle to get the manifest of the passengers.
Also, the coordinating officer of Ogun State Ambulance Services, Dr. Hassan Adelakun, confirmed that the remains of the victims have been deposited at the morgues of State Hospital, Ijaiye and Federal Medical Centre(FMC), Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
State Sector Commander, FRSC, Ayo Omiyale, however, confirmed that nine people died in the accident.
Omiyale explained that 15 people, including five males, nine females and one child, were involved in the crash.
"We are still trying to ascertain the exact number of those killed as it is speculated that some sympathizers had taken some wounded people away. But nine persons, which included an infant of less than a year, were confirmed," he stated.
However, barely five hours after, another accident at Kobape area, along the same highway, occurred about 2:00 p.m. yesterday, leaving four people seriously wounded.
The accident involved a black Honda Accord I-VTEC car with registration number Lagos UD 828 AAA and a black Toyota Camry car marked Ogun AQ 907 AKM.
Eye witnesses said the driver of the Honda vehicle lost control and came from another lane to ram into the Toyota Camry car which was coming from Abeokuta.
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