The Federal Road Safety Corps, Osun State Command has confirmed that eight people were killed and 36 others injured after a palm oil-laden truck plunged into a ditch in the early hours of yesterday in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
A statement signed by the spokesperson of FRSC Command, Mrs. Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed that eight people were killed while 36 others sustained injuries, noting 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. 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 backwards and lost control. It fell sideways into the side drainage, throwing off the jerry cans over the passengers and killing some in the process.”
The Nation gathered that the accident happened around 2 AM on Saturday when the truck, Volvo FL7, with registration number KMC 35 ZJ, was ascending the November 27 overhead bridge, opposite NECO office.
When our correspondent visited the scene, one of the survivors said there were about 50 that were involved in the accident.
“The accident happened around 2 AM 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.”
One official of the Federal Road Safety Corps was on the ground as at the time our correspondent visited the scene.
The truck has been moved from the scene while other passengers, numbering about 14 were there to monitor the kegs of palm oil that littered the road.
Source: The Nation