By Oladele Ogunsola
A tragic road accident has claimed the lives of three persons and left five others seriously injured after a commercial bus lost control and plunged into Ariyo River in the Amuloko area of Ona Ara Local Government, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The fatal crash, which occurred along the Ariyo River axis of Amuloko, involved multiple commercial buses and immediately threw residents and motorists in the area into deep mourning.
Eyewitnesses said the driver of one of the commercial buses suddenly lost control of the vehicle and rammed into other buses, triggering the devastating crash that caused a major traffic gridlock before emergency responders restored order.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Services and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, said three bodies were recovered from the scene while five victims were rescued alive.
Akinwande disclosed that the agency received a distress call from a resident, Mrs. Fadeke Yusuf, at about 3:38 p.m., reporting that a vehicle had fallen into the river.
According to him, firefighters led by CFS Adesina were immediately deployed to the scene.
On arrival, the rescue team discovered that a Suzuki commercial bus with registration number OSUN LEW 484 XA carrying eight passengers had veered off the road and plunged into the river after the driver lost control.
Five passengers were rescued alive and rushed to Ona-Ara Private Hospital in the Jegede area for medical treatment, while the bodies of the three deceased victims were recovered from the wreckage.
The remains were subsequently handed over to officers from the Ogbere Divisional Police Headquarters led by ASP Aishat Ibrahim.
Officials of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) from the Ona-Ara Division and the Chairman of Ona Ara Local Government, Hon. Glorious Temitope, were also present during the rescue operation.
Akinwande attributed the accident to reckless driving and urged motorists to exercise caution and strictly adhere to road safety regulations to prevent avoidable tragedies on the highways.
