7 die in Ogbomoso road accident

Ibadan — SEVEN persons reportedly died in an auto crash on Ibadan Ogbomoso road yesterday, while several others sustained life-threatening injuries. According to an eyewitness, the casualty figure in the accident is high. He said when he got to the accident scene some moments after it occurred, people were seen assisting the victims. From information gathered, the accident happened when an Ilorin-bound commercial bus overtook a Sport Utility Vehicle, SUV, and tried to manoeuvre its way back to its lane, but failed. It was gathered that the driver of the SUV increased his speed and made it difficult for the commercial bus to join the lane. The eyewitness said: “When the driver of the SUV increased speed, there was an articulated truck coming from Ilorin. The driver of the truck saw the commercial bus and applied brake. “The impact of the brake was so much that the truck kept moving and the commercial bus driver could not control the bus, which was coming from Lagos at top speed. It collided with the truck. “Six persons died on the spot, while another victim died on the way to the hospital. Only the driver of the bus survived the accident.” The accident reportedly delayed motorists plying the road for more than 30 minutes. At press time, security agents were said to have towed the mangled vehicles off the road. When the state police command was contacted, the spokesman said he would contact their men in Oyo town and Ogbomoso. In another development, a truck loaded with 33,000 litres of fuel was said to have somersaulted at Taki area of Ogbomoso and emptied its contents. Many people were said to be scooping fuel from the scene as security men were said to have been despatched to the scene to prevent an explosion.