Ebun Francis
A GUO bus with passengers en route Lagos from Enugu Plunged into a lagoon in the Owode area of Ikorodu, Lagos, on Friday morning. Details of the early morning tragedy which occurred at about 3 am are still very sketchy as a press time.
But Ibrahim Fairnloye, the National Emergency Management Agency’s spokesman in South West zone, confirmed the death of three people, including the driver of the ill-fated bus while 48 passengers have been rescued alive from the river.
He said that Search and rescue operation is still in progress.
According to him, “It has been confirmed that there is no more victim in the river.
“Some people are said to have walked out immediately after the incident before the arrival of emergency agencies.
“We have 48 rescued alive, three dead, while nine of the survivors are being attended to at Lagos State Emergency Trauma Centre at Toll Gate on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.”
The affected bus, with registration number GDC386YE, belonged to G.U.O Transport Services Ltd.
A survivor of the accident, Mr. Kenneth Aaron, said that the bus, which was coming from Aba, Abia State, had the accident around 3:05 a.m.
He said, “I entered the bus in Onitsha with four of my brothers. The bus passed through Ikorodu because of the ongoing construction on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“It seemed an accident happened in the area before which spilled diesel onto the road.
“By the time our bus got to the spot, it skidded, hit the culvert and plunged into the river.”
According to him, the 50-seater bus was full with passengers and had additional standing passengers (attachment) who were picked on the way.
The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, confirmed the death of three and many injured.
He said, “We got the report of an accident around 4.30 a.m and our men responded and commenced recovery mission immediately.
“The initial assessment is that the road demarcation here, the driver probably did not understand the road very well, came to the junction suddenly, applied the brake and lost control.
“The first set of people we brought out had injuries and were treated by our paramedic team; two people died immediately.
“Shortly before I came here, the body of the motor boy was found on the waterbed.”
Some of the survivors were later taken to Ajegunle police station, Owode Onirin, to make statements.