Seven persons have been confirmed dead after a Dangote truck conveying bags of cement rammed into a yellow commercial bus at Tollgate, Ota, along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ogun State.
The deceased included five adults and two children while 10 persons sustained injuries in the crash which occurred around 11.30am on Saturday.
It was learnt that a sienna bus with the number plate, APP 122 CD was also involved in the accident.
It was gathered that there was traffic on the expressway at the time and the truck had a brake failure, forcing the driver to run into the bus in the process.
Following the deaths, angry youths took to the expressway and set ablaze the truck.
It was gathered that it took the intervention of police and the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Obalanlege, to pacify the protesters and restored normalcy to the area.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the state, Clement Oladele, said firefighters assisted in putting out the inferno.
He said, “The crash involved a total of 17 people made up of six male adults, two male children, eight female adults, and one female child. The vehicles involved were three, comprising an ash-coloured Dangote truck with no registration number, a yellow Volkswagen bus with registration number, LSR 128 XP and a white Sienna bus with registration number, APP 122 CD.
“The suspected causes were speeding and mechanical deficiency suspected to be brake failure. The total number of people killed was seven, made up of two male adults, three female adults, a male child and a female child. The number of injured persons was 10, comprising four male adults and six female adults.”
Oladele said the injured victims were rescued to the Ota General Hospital, while the corpses of the dead victims were deposited at the Ifo General Hospital Morgue.
The sector commander commiserated with the relations of the victims, adding that where the crash occurred was a black spot notorious for frequent crashes, which had claimed over 40 lives in the last five years.
He called on motorists especially articulated vehicles to drive cautiously while plying the corridor.
He urged people to desist from taking the law into their hands by resorting to self help and destroying property.
“There are standard ways of handling issues such as reporting grievances to the appropriate law enforcement agencies,” he added.
Two persons were burnt to death on the same spot on November 14, 2019 after a fuel-laden tanker had an accident and went up in flames. At least 17 vehicles and goods estimated at over N269m were burnt.
Oladele had said a comprehensive report on the major causes of the frequent crashes at the corridor was prepared by the corps and submitted to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, the Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and other relevant stakeholders.
“It (the report) opined that wholesome traffic reengineering solution that would separate motorised traffic from other non-motorised traffic especially pedestrians and remove all areas of points of traffic conflicts in transit at that major intersection would best prevent fatal road crashes.
“Apart from filling up the slope, an over head interchange that would allow vehicles in transit connect the various exit points at the old toll gate intersection without interfering with flow of traffic, would be most suitable to prevent gridlock,” Oladele had stated.
The recommendations in the report had yet to be implemented.
