12 die in auto crashes

...One dies, one escapes as trucks crash on Ojuelegba bridge

...Man dies in trailer explosion

TWELVE people have lost their lives in two different accidents in Kwara and Lagos while some sustained varying degrees of injuries.

In Kwara State, 10 people lost their lives in a road crash around Iyemoja Village, along Olooru-Okoolowo express road, Moro Local Government Area.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander, Stephen Dawulung, told newsmen that the fatal crash occurred around 06:40 a.m. and it involved two vehicles: a Volvo truck and a Toyota Hiace bus.

Dawulung said a total of 20 people:15 male adults, four female adults and one male child, were involved in the accident.

He added that 10 people, five male adults, four female adults and one male child, lost their lives, while another 10 male adults sustained injuries.

Dawulung said: “Preliminary investigation conducted by the operatives of FRSC revealed that the crash occurred due to wrongful overtaking by the driver of the Volvo truck, leading to a head-on collision with the bus.

“The bus was coming from Lagos en route Sokoto and was conveying 17 passengers and goods, while the truck was said to be coming from the North en route Lagos and had three passengers.

“The crash occurred along Olooru-Okoolowo Road around a village known as Iyemoja.”

The Sector Commander said on receipt of the report of the crash, the rescue operatives at Olooru Unit and the Help and Rescue Camp were immediately mobilised to the crash scene.

He said the injured victims were taken to state Hospital, Ilorin while corpses of the dead were taken to Teaching Hospital mortuary, Ilorin.

One dies, one escapes as trucks crash on Ojuelegba bridge

In Lagos State, a truck driver died on Ojuelegba bridge in Lagos when he got trapped in a multiple collision involving two other trucks, while his assistant narrowly escaped unhurt.

According to an eyewitness, the unfortunate incident happened at about 1.30 am when two Shacman F2000 trucks laden with sand and a Daf truck laden with chicken feed collided.

Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who led the recovery operation, said the ill-fated vehicles have been recovered and the normal situation restored.

According to Oke-Osanyitolu, “At 0137hrs on Monday, the LASEMA Response Team encountered a multiple accident, which involved three articulated trucks on Ojuelegba bridge, while returning from a recovery operation in the Ijora axis of Lagos.

“The truck reportedly suffered mechanical error in motion, while driving in a convoy, resulting in a sudden halt of movement leading to a crash into it from the rear by the second truck while on top speed.

“Unfortunately, the driver of the DAF truck, an adult male, who got trapped in the impact of the multiple collisions, died in the process, while his truck assistant, otherwise called motorboy escaped unscathed.

“The lifeless body of the trapped DAF truck driver was later extricated.”

Officials of the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, LASEHMU, subsequently, transferred the corpse to the morgue for further processing.

All affected vehicles have been recovered off the bridge to Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA office, Iponri, Surulere.

Man, 36, dies in trailer explosion

In a related development, a 36-year-old man, Aminu Sulaiman, died after a trailer exploded at Kwotago Western bye pass in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, yesterday.

The Public Relations Officer, Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, said: “We received a distress call at the central control room from one Alhaji Auwal at 10:02 a.m. that there is fire in Kwotago Western Bye Pass.

“Upon receiving the information, we quickly sent our team to the scene at about 10:12 a.m. to rescue the victims.”

He said on getting to the scene it was discovered that a trailer carrying drums of used engine oil and a motorcycle was gutted by fire.

“The fire spread to two dwelling houses and two uncompleted buildings around the area where the victim was trapped and was burnt to death."

Culled from Vanguard