A tragic lone accident on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway has claimed three lives and left 17 others injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday at Iyana Egbado along the Ewekoro inbound Papalanto section in Ogun State.
The accident involved a Mazda bus with registration number KRD 809 XC. According to the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, the bus had 20 occupants at the time of the crash, which happened around 11:00 a.m.
Akinbiyi explained that the three victims were burnt beyond recognition after the bus burst into flames. He attributed the accident to a tyre burst, which caused the vehicle to somersault into a nearby bush before catching fire.
Rescue operations were promptly carried out by TRACE operatives and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The injured were taken to General Hospital Ifo for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the hospital's morgue. The damaged bus was moved to the Papa Oscar cage in Isara-Remo Police Station for further investigation.
FRSC spokesperson Afolabi Odunsi provided additional details, stating that the bus carried six adult males, 11 adult females, one male child, and two female children. He said, "Out of the 20 persons involved, five persons were killed, comprising one adult male, two adult females, one male child and one female child. Ten persons sustained varying degrees of injuries, while five persons escaped unhurt."
Odunsi noted that preliminary investigation pointed to speeding and overloading as probable causes of the crash. He added that the road was paved and the weather was cloudy at the time of the incident. The injured were taken to General Hospital Ifo and Oreofe Specialist Hospital for medical attention, while the remains of the deceased were placed at the General Hospital Morgue in Ifo.
Ogun State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, expressed sympathy to the families of the victims and urged motorists to avoid speeding, overloading, and other traffic violations that endanger lives.
