The accident, which involved an 18-seat bus, occurred at about 3.30pm as the vehicle, which took off in Lagos reportedly went up flames.
The
commercial bus painted in white colour, with blue stripes suddenly developed leakages
on the fuel tank, which spilled its contents.
One of the
passengers was said to have noticed a spark from the engine and raised the
alarm which made the driver to stop abruptly in order to check the cause of the
incident. Eye-witnesses account said all the passengers scampered for safety as
soon as the vehicle stopped but this was too late as the fire had made the
vehicle’s door to jam.
Seven of the
passengers, including a pregnant woman and a baby, were burnt beyond
recognition while eleven others sustained various degrees of injuries before
they could get help. Some of the
sympathisers were said to have put a call across to the fire fighters in Ogun
State but none arrived the scene until the situation degenerated.
Meanwhile,
some TRACE officials were said to have rushed to the scene but were prevented
from rendering any assistance as hoodlums descended on them, venting their
anger. In the process, five officials, including the Akute Head of Operations,
were assaulted.
An eye
witness said the traffic Police around the axis were not spared as many of them
were injured by the hoodlums, although a distress call was later put across to
both the Rapid Response Squad RRS, in Lagos and Quick Response Squad from Mowe
axis, who eventually put the situation under control.
The incident
was said to have caused a traffic jam on the expressway outward Lagos which
lasted for hours.Also, the bodies and the injured persons were said to have be
taken to Ogun State University Teaching Hospital OSUTH, Sagamu.
TRACE Public
Relations Officer Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the development said the
officials arrived the scene as soon as they received a distress call but
lamented that the miscreants threw caution to the wind, causing further damage
on the every busy expressway
Simple things in place could have saved the woman.
ReplyDeleteOmase o, wasted lives.
ReplyDeleteSad
ReplyDelete