News
UPDATED: Eight dead, 36 injured as truck plunges into ditch in Osun
Toba Adedeji, Osogbo
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Osun Command has confirmed eight persons died while 36 others were injured after a palm oil-laden truck plunged into a ditch in the early hours of Saturday in Osogbo capital of Osun State.
A statement by the spokesperson of Osun FRSC, Mrs. Agnes Ogungbemi, noted that 61 passengers were involved in the accident.
She said: “The suspected cause of the accident was overload. The injured victims were taken to Osun State Teaching Hospital and Asubiaro Hospital. Arrangements are ongoing to convey the dead victims to a mortuary.
“The vehicle which was heavily loaded with jerry cans of palm oil and over 60 passengers was trying to ascend the ramp but started rolling backward and lost control.
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“It fell sideways into the side drainage, throwing off the jerry cans over the passengers and killed some in the process.”
The Nation gathered the accident occurred around 2 am when the truck, Volvo FL7 with registration number KMC 35 ZJ, was ascending the November 27 overhead bridge opposite the NECO office.
One of the survivors told The Nation at the scene of the accident: “The accident happened around 2am when some of us were sleeping on top of the kegs of palm oil in the truck.
“The truck fell into the ditch and about 10 of us were killed while others have been taken to Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo and one other public hospital.”
