No fewer than six persons died and several injured in an accident involving a trailer conveying tiles and a lorry loaded with soft drinks on Monday at Oke Eleshin, Amuloko along Akanran Road, Ibadan.
Among the injured was a pupil whose mother reportedly died in the crash.
Four of the injured who were conveyed to the Amuloko City Hospital nearby included two primary school children treated as out- patients while two with severe injuries have been admitted for proper treatment.
The dead were conveyed to a hospital that was not yet ascertained.
A staff of the Oyo Road Transport Maintenance Agency (OYRTMA) who spoke on a condition of anonymity at the scene, said: “The accident occured in the early hours of today. It was caused by brake failure of the trailer that was descending the slope of the road.
“Having lost control, it crushed a tricycle popularly called Keke NAPEP. Another lorry conveying soft drinks which was coming from behind it and tried to avoid hitting the trailer in front, and in the process hit and crushed another Keke NAPEP. We learnt that six persons died while five persons sustained injuries.
They have all been conveyed away from here.”
The accident caused a serious gridlock with passengers alighting and trekking. Many parked their vehicles by the road sides pending when security operatives will clear the vehicles from the road.
Aside the two articulated vehicles and the two tricycles involved, two other cars were damaged in the multiple accident.
Sympathisers, who were prevented from burning the vehicles blamed the drivers, (who had escaped) claimed the accident could have been minimised if the driver of the one that lost control had swerved into a ditch instead of facing the incoming tricycle.
Security operatives on ground included men of the Operation Burst, OYRTMA, Police, Road Safety, Amotekun, and local vigilantes.
When contacted, the Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Oyo Command, Mrs. Rosemary Alo confirmed the accident but said she would officially confirm when her men brief her appropriately.
Oyo Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said the FRSC Commander would give detailed report on the accident.
