16 Dead, Many Injured, as Truck Rams into Market in Ondo Community

16 Dead, Many Injured, as Truck Rams into Market in Ondo Community
  • Another accident claims 3 in Ogun

By Kayode Fasua and Rebecca Ejifoma

No fewer than 16 lives were lost Saturday evening in Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government area of Ondo State, when a trailer, which reportedly suffered brake failure, rammed into a crowded market square.

The accident, which left several others seriously injured, was described as a recurring decimal in the hilly town, which is the host community of state-owned Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko.

At press time, health workers and officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had condoned off the vicinity of the incident, having evacuated corpses to adjourning mogues in Ikare-Akoko and Oka-Akoko, respectively.

Lamenting the incident, however, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, called on administrators of local government areas in the country to relocate all markets on public highways, to preserve lives.

In a statement sent to THISDAY, through the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, Oyeyemi decried the Akungba auto crash, “caused by brake failure and loss of control that claimed multiple lives at the Ibaka area of Akungba Akoko, Akoko South-West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Saturday evening”.

Lamenting the huge loss of lives and damage to properties occasioned by the accident, the Corps Marshal explained that the crash occurred at about 6.30 pm on Sarturday, when a DAF Truck loaded with bags of rice rammed into the stalls in the market and crashed into a Toyota Camry saloon car, a Toyota Corolla car, and three motorcycles.

“The fatal crash involved a total of 23 people comprising 11 male adults, three male children, seven female adults and two female children.

“Out of the 23 people involved, a total of seven people comprising three male adults, three female adults and one male child were rescued with different degrees of injuries and taken to the hospital.

“Sixteen people got killed-comprising eight male adults, two male children, four female adults and two female children; and the dead bodies had been deposited at the Specialist Hospital, Ikare and General Hospital Iwaro-Oka mortuaries respectively, by FRSC emergency rescue teams,” he recounted.

The Corps Marshal who spoke extensively on the urgency of the relocation of Akungba market, also revealed that the Corps was concerned about the rising statistics of innocent citizens who had lost their lives as a result of building markets close to the highways and had since initiated impact-oriented operational strategies to curb the menace.

He, however, lamented that the strategies, no matter how good, would not yield desired results if the government at the grassroots did not take up the responsibility of relocating those markets.

Commiserating with the families of the victims, the Corps Marshal advised road users to be more disciplined, maintain their vehicles regularly and maintain prescribed speed limits at all times especially in crowded places like markets.

Meanwhile, another fatal auto crash occurred at the Mowe, Ogun State portion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on Saturday, killing three persons and leaving several others with varying degrees of injury.

Eyewitnesses told THISDAY that a truck loaded with granite had rammed into a Mazda passenger-bus, possibly having lost control or owing to break failure.

The bus fell on its side due to the impact, it was gathered.

Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Force (TRACE) said its men at the scene of the accident rose to the occasion, and joined others to rescue victims of the accident.

The statement signed by an official, Ojerinde K.A, recalled that a white truck with registration number AAB458ZY had rammed into a white Mazda bus with registration number XY660EKY, from behind.

The accident, the TRACE said, claimed the lives of three men who died on the spot, while the victims had been rushed to the Mowe General Hospital, for treatment.

Watch video of the Mowe accident

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