It was tears and sorrow yesterday as 12 bodies of passengers inside a coaster bus that plunged into Omu River near Area J4 in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State. The victims, mostly women, were said to have belonged to Odowuyi Women Social Club.
They boarded the Hyundai coaster bus from Sango Ota area of the state, heading for Uronigbe/Oriohwon Local Government Area of Edo State. Sunday Sun reliably gathered that the accident occurred after the vehicle’s driver, who was said to be on top speed, dosed off on the wheels. It was further learnt that most women in the vehicle were also fast asleep and could not have noticed when the driver skidded off the expressway.
Speaking with newsmen, Information Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-West Zone, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, said 21 passengers, including the driver and his conductor, were inside the ill-fated vehicle. He said the actual number of causalities would be determined when the agency visits the bus station to obtain the passengers’ manifest.
Also, Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Ijebu Ode Command, Mr. Isa Seidu, said three out of the 21 passengers, who fell out of the vehicle before it plunged into the river, were rescued alive on Friday afternoon and taken to Ore Hospital. Mr. Seidu attributed the cause of the accident to over-speeding, adding that there were three gullies on the path the vehicle veered into before plunging into the river, adding that the gullies could have prevented it from plunging into the river.
According to him, “big stone gullies and another hindrance could have stopped the vehicle even if the driver was sleeping. But he went straight into the river because he was asleep.” The Ijebu-Ode Unit Commander of the state’s Traffic and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Mr. Hamsat Tommy, and the DPO of Ogbere Division, Mr. Osamanye Isunmekhe, who corroborated the FRSC claim, said rescue effort started as early as 6 a.m. on Saturday.
According to them, it took the local divers over eight hours before pulling out the vehicle from the river at exactly 2.20 p.m. One of the relatives of the victims, Doris Nwokoma, said in tears that her elder sister, Mrs. Afoma Idehen, was among the deceased. Husbands of the victims were also at the recovery scene, with one of them nearly jumping into an oncoming vehicle as he sighted his late wife’s luggage. He said amidst wailing ‘that is my wife’s bag ooo. Chinekemeee!”
Officials of NEMA, FRSC, Fire Service, Red Cross, police and the local vigilante team worked assiduously for hours before completing the operation around 3 p.m. on Saturday. Bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Ijebu-Ode mortuary, while the search for the remaining six bodies continues today.
Sunday 21 October 2012
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/ogun-road-disaster-12-bodies-recovered-from-omu-river/
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