No fewer than three persons have lost their lives after a commercial bus plunged into a river along Amuloko Road in the Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The victims were recovered from the Ariyo River by operatives of the Oyo State Fire Service following the accident, which occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
It was gathered that the Suzuki bus, with registration number LEW 484 XA (Osun), was conveying eight passengers when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road and plunge into the river.
Emergency responders from the Oyo State Fire Service swiftly mobilised to the scene and successfully rescued five passengers alive from the wreckage.
Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Hon. Moroof Adebayo Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday.
According to him, the rescued victims were immediately rushed to Ona Ara Private Hospital in the Jegede area for medical treatment.
Akinwande further disclosed that the three deceased victims recovered from the river were handed over to police officers from the Ogbere Divisional Headquarters, led by ASP Aishat Ibrahim.
“A Suzuki bus with registration number LEW 484 XA (Osun), conveying eight passengers, lost control and crashed into a river. Five persons were rescued alive and conveyed to Ona Ara Private Hospital, Jegede area, while three bodies were recovered and handed over to a team of policemen from Ogbere Divisional Headquarters led by ASP Aishat Ibrahim,” he said.
He added that officials of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) from the Ona Ara Division were present at the scene alongside the Chairman of Ona Ara Local Government, Hon. Glorious Temitope.
The fire service boss attributed the accident to reckless driving.
Authorities have urged motorists to exercise caution and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to prevent avoidable road tragedies.
