No less than five persons were killed and eight others injured in a multiple car crash which occurred on the Lagos-Ibadan motorway on Friday evening.
Emergency responders said the incident, which happened on the Satguru Maharaj Ji Village axis of the highway, involved six trucks, two Toyota Hilux vans and two automobiles.
Sources stated the tragedy occurred when one of the trucks allegedly lost its brakes and crashed into another truck parked beside the road, creating a chain collision of multiple cars.
The impact of the collision caused a fire break-out, which further complicated the rescue operations.
Personnel of the Oyo State Fire Service and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) among other emergency responders were dispatched the site to contain the fire and evacuate casualties.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, confirmed the tragedy, saying five bodies were found from the wreckage while eight injured persons were rescued and sent to the hospital for treatment.
We got there and saw that there were six trucks involved, including petrol tanks and trailer trucks and two cars, which led to a fire outbreak’, Akinwande added.
“Five persons were recovered dead while eight others were rescued and handed over to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps led by SRC Adegbite from the Toll Gate Unit, Ibadan, for immediate medical attention at a nearby hospital,” he said.
He said the accident was caused by brake failure and emergency personnel worked to prevent the fire from spreading to other vehicles and properties.
The tragedy resulted to considerable traffic congestion along the major route as cars and commuters were stranded for several hours during the rescue and recovery operations.
Authorities have appealed to drivers, especially those operating articulated vehicles, to ensure their vehicles are regularly serviced and safety standards rigorously adhered to, to avoid needless road crashes.
The FRSC is anticipated to conduct further inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
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