Tragedy struck in Ondo State on Monday as no fewer than 11 people were crushed to death, while five others sustained various degrees of injury after a fully-loaded commercial bus collided with a trailer at the Akintelu end of the Benin-Sagamu Expressway.
A commercial bus, owned by Efex Motors, with number plate, DG 36 ASJ, was conveying mostly guests of a wedding that held in Benin, the Edo State capital when the accident occurred.
The driver of the Dangote vehicle, identified as Idrisu Oseni, was reported to have immediately disappeared from the scene, along with his assistant.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ondo State command, and policemen from the Igbotakun division, were said to have removed the corpses from the road and deposited them in a morgue, Punch reports.
The Ondo State FRSC Sector Commander, Osas Osadebamwen, said the accident was caused by the trailer driver, who “dangerously overtook the Efex bus.”
He said, “The accident happened around 3.30pm on Sunday and involved a Dangote trailer conveying bags of cement and a fully-loaded Efex Motors Toyota Hiace bus. We gathered that most of the occupants of the bus were returning from a wedding ceremony which held at the weekend.
“We discovered that the Dangote trailer driver travelled at top speed. He left his lane and went to another lane. Instead of waiting for the vehicle that was diverting, he was impatient.
“Because he was speeding, he couldn’t control the trailer. While struggling for control, the front part of the trailer detached and slid on the median. The trailer tyres burst into flames at that point. The backside of the trailer went to the other side of the road, where the Efex bus was coming from.
“In the end, 11 people died in the accident, including eight adults and three children. Their remains have been deposited in a morgue, while the injured were taken to the Ore General Hospital for treatment.”
The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident, adding that 11 people died on the spot, while five others were in a critical condition.
He said, “The accident involved a Dangote Cement Company trailer laden with about 900 bags of cement, and a commercial bus belonging to Efex Motors.
“Preliminary investigations showed that the Dangote driver drove against the traffic. He rammed into the bus and pushed it off the road, thereby killing 11 people, including the bus driver, Ramoni Ajadi. We have commenced investigation into the incident.”
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