About 11 people were burnt to death yesterday in an accident which occurred at the Macmillan area, a few metres before Soka bus stop on Ibadan – Lagos Expressway.
A witness said the lone accident involved a commercial Mazda bus coming from Ogijo in Ogun State and heading to Beere in Ibadan to attend a Wolimat programme of a family member.
It was also gathered that most of the occupants were dressed in a uniform Ankara for the occasion.
A source said the propeller of the bus pulled out and hit the fuel tank, catching fire in the process.
In an attempt to save the situation, the driver veered off the road to hit a heap of sand by the roadside.
Immediately the bus stopped, the driver and the two passengers in the front seat escaped but others were not lucky as the door of the bus could not be open.
It was learnt that the 11 people who died in the accident included eight adults and three children.
Also, 13 people, including the driver, sustained various degrees of injury and were taken to the Adeoyo Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital, UCH, Ibadan.
The Assistant Corps Commander and Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Oluyole Ibadan/ Lagos tollgate, Mr. Adeoye Sanya, confirmed the incident.
He said: “The FRSC was informed of the accident around 1p.m that an Ibadan-bound bus from Lagos was involved in an accident.
“According to an eyewitness, the propeller of the bus was reported to have pulled out, hitting the fuel tank along the line and catching flame. Having looked around, the driver decided to hit a heap of sand by the side of the expressway but that didn’t save the situation.
“However, I can confirm to you that the bus was badly loaded and from the report of the victims – 13 were injured while 11 were burnt to death. The driver is among the four male victims taken to the Adeoyo Hospital while nine others, seven adults and two children, were taken to UCH.”
Meanwhile, a middle aged man among the onlookers collapsed when the FRSC men were pulling out bodies from the bus.
It took the intervention of some people, who poured water on the man, to revive him.
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