By Chiemelie Ezeobi
At least three persons lost their lives yesterday in a fatal accident that also left 23 others with varying degree of injuries when a luxurious bus they were traveling in plunged into the Majidun River.
The incident which happened at the Owode Elede area of Ikorodu, Lagos, Involved the a luxury bus belonging to GUO Transport services Co. Ltd. with registration number Anambra GDD 386 YE.
The bus was said to have been enroute Maza Maza, Lagos from Aba, Abia State, when it skidded off the road while on top speed and plunged into the Canal at Owode Elede, before Mile 12, Ikorodu Road.
Of the 59 passengers on board, 23 people sustained injuries and were treated on the spot by a joint team of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Lagos State Ambulance Services (LASAMBUS) paramedics.
Confirming the incident, the South West Zonal Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye said the incident happened around 3am in the morning.
He added that some people left the vehicle immediately after the incident before the arrival of emergency agency.
General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, said the agency received a distress call at about 3.23 am via the emergency toll free number 767/112 concerning an accident involving a luxurious bus.
“According to preliminary investigations conducted at the scene, it was revealed that the bus skidded off the road as it was approaching the Majidun bridge.
“Nine out of the treated victims were taken to the Lagos State Trauma Centre at the Toll Gate for further treatment, while two adult male and one female which include the motor boy were recovered dead from the canal.
“The three bodies, accidented bus and their belongings were handed over to men of the Nigeria Police, Owode Division.”
Mr. Tiamiyu affirmed that a proper investigation would be conducted on the incident.
He however advised motorist to be safety conscious and avoid excessive speeding while driving especially when embarking on night journeys.
The response and recovery operations was coordinated by LASEMA in conjunction with LASTMA, LASAMBUS, Lagos State Fire Service, RRS, Task Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, FRSC, NEMA amongst others.
