The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of 13 passengers in an accident on the Owo-Ikare highway in Ondo State.
Samuel Ibitoye, the FRSC sector commander in Ondo, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. The crash involved a bus carrying 14 passengers and a fabric-laden vehicle.
“A total of 14 people were involved, out of which 13 were burnt beyond recognition while only one was rescued alive with serious injuries,” the statement read.
According to Ibitoye, eyewitness accounts revealed that the bus travelling from the Ikare axis suffered a tyre burst, which caused the driver to lose control and collided head-on with the vehicle carrying fabric from the Owo axis. The impact caused both vehicles to catch fire.
He noted that the emergency responders, including FRSC personnel, police officers, and firefighters, arrived promptly to handle the rescue operations, adding that the injured survivor was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Owo for treatment.
The sector commander urged drivers to prioritise road safety by maintaining their vehicles and exercising caution on the highways.
He also encouraged passengers to speak up against reckless driving saying, “exercise patience on the roads and passionately maintain their vehicles while passengers are encouraged to speak out against dangerous driving because road safety is a concern of all.”
