10 dead, 3 injured as vehicle plunges into River

A devastating accident on Friday night has claimed the lives of 10 people, with three others injured, after a vehicle plunged into a river along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Expressway.

The tragic crash occurred near the Omu bridge in Awa Ijebu, when a vehicle reportedly carrying 15 passengers veered off the highway and fell into the river below. Eyewitness accounts suggest the driver was speeding and lost control of the vehicle shortly before the bridge.

Gruesome footage from the scene showed bodies lying motionless along the riverbank as panicked residents and passersby scrambled to rescue survivors trapped inside the waterlogged wreck.

A local source, who identified himself as TMC, said that the crash occurred just after the bridge in Awa.

TMC said, “A tragic accident involving an 18-passenger bus en route from Ijebu Ode to Ibadan occurred a few hours ago on the bridge after Awa, with the bus crashing into the river, possibly due to overspeeding, resulting in about 12 fatalities.”

Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the accident happened at around 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Akinbiyi explained that responders were only able to reach the location in the early hours of Saturday due to access challenges.

He identified the vehicle involved as a Mitsubishi bus with registration number EJ829-LSR.

Akinbiyi added that “according to eyewitness account, wrongful overtaking while on high speed led to failure of the driver to maintain control after noticing an oncoming vehicle.

“The bus driver veered into the bush and rammed into a stone base (gravel) already abandoned on the road beside the bridge, which made the vehicle dive into the river entirely.

“15 people were involved, three injured and 10 (three females and seven males) dead. Two people, including a toddler and an adult, escaped unhurt.”

He said the bodies of the deceased were taken to the morgue at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital, where the injured are also receiving treatment.

“The bodies of the dead and injured victims have been taken to the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue.

“While TRACE, POLICE, and the FRSC commiserate with the family of the victims, motorists are again warned against excessive speed and night travel given its attendant consequences,” Akinbiyi concluded.

(Punch)