Easter Monday Tragedies: 8 die in auto crashes, 26 injured

Abeokuta

Gbagada

Gbagada

Ojuelegba

Ojuelegba

Eight people died,  yesterday, with 26 others sustaining injuries in three separate auto accidents in Lagos State and Abeokuta in Ogun State.
In Lagos, five persons were burnt to death in Ojuelegba, Surulere axis, when a commercial bus caught fire while descending the National Stadium Bridge inward Barracks Bus Stop. Earlier, two persons lost their lives in an auto crash involving a bus and a taxicab on Oshodi-Gbgada Expressway.
Same yesterday, a life was lost in an accident involving three vehicles at Asero area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
On the Ojuelegba accident, at about 6:44p.m., the bus with number plates AND 996 XC, caught fire, leaving five people burnt beyond recognition and five others suffering severe burns.
Confirming the tragedy, General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Mr. Adeshina Tiamiyu, said: “Five persons, including a child, three females and one male, all adults, were burnt to death and were recovered from the bus.
“However, five people were also rescued and rushed to the hospital with severe burns. Recovery was still ongoing at 7:23p.m.”

Gbagada
Earlier, the Gbagada accident, which recorded two deaths, left 17 others with injuries, while goods were also destroyed.
Report had it that the bus, with number plates GGE 716 XM, which was driving inward Anthony, suddenly veered off its lane in front of General Filling Station, Gbagada, before hitting the median, somersaulted and collided with a taxi, number plates MUS 554 XE. Time was 3p.m.
A female passenger, who was flung out in the process, died on the spot. Another passenger, also a woman, reportedly died on the spot, while others, who were unconscious, were brought out from the bus by motorists, who stopped to help.
The injured passengers were taken in a Lagos State Ambulance to the hospital.

Eyewitness account
An eyewitness, Mr. Gboyega Olajide, said: “The incident was caused by reckless driving. The driver was speeding. My vehicle was behind the bus. The driver attempted to manoeuvre to another lane only to hit the culvert.
“At that point vehicles behind him quickly changed lane. The taxi man also tried to avoid it, but it happened in a flash.
“I was one of those who stopped to assist the passengers. The driver also sustained injury. He was among those rushed to the hospital. The women were traders and it was obvious they were coming from Mile 12 Market.”
The incident caused a hitch traffic flow until officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, came with their trucks to tow the affected vehicles away, while those of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, evacuated the corpses.
Spokesperson for LASTMA, Mamud Hassan, who confirmed the incident, advised motorists to always drive with caution.

Abeokuta
In a related development, multiple accidents involving three vehicles at Asero area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, also claimed a life, with four others reportedly sustaining serious injuries.
The incident, which occurred at about 2.05p.m., inwards Asero Stadium, involved a Micra taxi, Honda Accord and Nissan taxi.

Casualties
Vanguard gathered that the Honda, with number plates Lagos EKY 191 EM, reportedly coming from Ibadan, was said to had suffered break failure and tried manoeuvring by driving against the traffic, when it had a head-on collision with the Micra taxi, number plates Sagamu 918 XA.
The taxi driver died on the spot.
An eyewitness said five other occupants of the taxi— two adults and three children— were said to have sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital.
Both vehicles were said to have brushed the third vehicle, a Nissan taxi with number plates Ogun AYE 814 XA, which was parked on the road.
The driver of the Honda Accord was said to have escaped unhurt, but reportedly took to his heels before he was apprehended by law enforcement agents and taken to police station for interrogation.
Operatives of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, and other stakeholders were said to have performed the rescue operation.
TRACE imagemaker, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident, saying the injured were a male and female adult, three children— two males and a female.