Following the deaths of an additional three passengers at the hospital where they were being treated after the collision, the number of fatalities in the road accident involving some undergrads from Ladoke Akintola University, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, on Thursday increased from the initial three to six.
It was earlier gathered that the victims who were travelling along Osogbo/Ifon/Oyo highway late on Wednesday were burnt to death in the road crash.
However, it is said that six more passengers were saved by Osun Ambulance Scheme personnel who reacted to a cry for help from the accident site near Ojutu Bridge in Ilobu.
A resident of Okinni, identified as Adeyanju, who spoke to newsmen on Thursday, said the driver of the bus conveying the victims had hit a commercial motorcyclist in the town, and was making attempt to escape the rage of some angry residents chasing after him.
“Few metres from Ojutu Bridge, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus somersaulted and caught fire. Some people were rescued before the fire could spread, but three people were burnt to death. Operatives of O’Ambulance Scheme came around to rescue some of the victims,” Adeyanju said.
The Head of Operations, Osun Ambulance Scheme, Elizabeth Arowosafe, said the organisation received distress call around 9:50pm on Wednesday that a bus conveying some final year students of Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso returning from a picnic was involved in an accident.
She said, “We responded around 9:53pm. I was told the driver had hit someone in Okinni and was speeding to avoid some people around the area chasing after him when the incident happened.
“The driver alongside a lady and a male undergrad were burnt to death. We were able to rescue six people. We rushed them to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo. The hospital did well. In fact, there was no adequate space to accommodate the injured people and we had to leave one of our stretchers with them to use.
“We could not recognise the dead victims. They were travelling inside a bus. I learnt that the occupants of the bus were final year students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, LAUTECH, who went to Erin-Ijesa waterfall for an excursion.
“One of the injured undergrads confirmed to us that they were coming from an excursion. She gave us names of some victims, but she didn’t have the strength to name the others.”