In a devastating incident that unfolded late Wednesday evening, two individuals lost their lives in a fiery bus accident along the Osogbo/Ifon/Oyo Boundary road, near Ojutu Bridge, Ilobu. The victims were passengers on a bus carrying final year students from Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, who were returning from a picnic excursion.

The catastrophe occurred when the bus driver, attempting to evade the ire of angry residents in Okinni after colliding with a commercial motorcyclist, lost control of the vehicle just meters from Ojutu Bridge. The bus subsequently somersaulted and became engulfed in flames, leaving three people trapped and unable to escape the inferno. Heroic efforts by the operatives of Osun Ambulance Scheme saved the lives of five other occupants, who were promptly rushed to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo for medical attention.

Elizabeth Arowosafe, Head of Operations at the Osun Ambulance Scheme, detailed their response to the distress call received around 9:50pm. Arowosafe explained that the driver, in an attempt to evade pursuers from the earlier collision, was speeding when the accident transpired. Tragically, the driver, a female passenger, and a male student perished in the flames, while the injured survivors were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The victims were identified as final year students from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, who had embarked on an excursion to Erin-Ijesa waterfall. Despite the valiant efforts of responders, the deceased victims inside the bus remained unrecognizable due to the intensity of the fire.

Agnes Ogungbemi, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, attributed the accident to a violation of the speed limit, resulting in a tragic loss of control that ultimately claimed lives. This heartbreaking incident serves as a stark reminder of the dire consequences of reckless driving and the importance of adhering to road safety regulations.