Tragedy struck in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday, as no fewer than seven persons, including three siblings, lost their lives in separate ghastly road accidents along major expressways in the state.
The unfortunate incidents, which occurred at different locations, have thrown the affected communities into mourning.
The first accident, which claimed the lives of the three siblings, occurred at the Celica-Kukumoda axis of the Ife/Ibadan expressway. The victims, reportedly schoolchildren, were said to have been crushed to death by a truck laden with goods which suffered a brake failure.
Eyewitnesses at the scene recounted the harrowing moment the truck veered off its course and rammed into the children who were on their way to school. Their remains were later evacuated by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and deposited at a nearby hospital.
In a related development, four other persons were confirmed dead in another accident at Idi-Ori, along the Oyo expressway.
While the cause of the second crash remains unclear, eyewitnesses said it involved two commercial vehicles — a yellow Volvo and a DAF truck.
One of the eyewitnesses, Mr. Adekunle Adeleke, confirmed “The accident involved two commercial vehicles. One Volvo (yellow in colour) and the second vehicle was a DAF truck. The cause was obstruction. The crash involved six people. Four died on the spot while two others with serious injuries were rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.”
It was gathered that the injured victims from the Idi-Ori crash are currently receiving treatment at the UCH.
Confirming both incidents, the Sector Commander of the FRSC in Oyo State, Mrs. Rosemary Alo, said that men of the Nigeria Police Force conducted the initial rescue operation as the accident occurred close to a police facility.
“The corpses were taken to UCH by the Police while the accident vehicles that were causing obstruction have been cleared off the road,” she stated.
She added that operatives from RS11.39 Moniya unit of the FRSC were deployed to the scene to control traffic and prevent further chaos.
Meanwhile, authorities have urged motorists to adhere strictly to traffic regulations to avert avoidable tragedies on the roads.