The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State Command on Saturday said no fewer than 15 people lost their lives in the road crash that occured on Friday at Eruwa-Lanlate road, Ibarapa East Local Government area.
FRSC Sector Commander, Joshua Adekanye confirmed the figure in an accident which involved two vehicles.
According to Adekanye, the two vehicles; a Toyota Sienna Bus and Toyota Hiace had an head on collusion which resulted in a fatal accident.
He added that all the 15 persons involved in the accident were burnt to death.
He attributed the cause of the accident to speed violation in an attempt to avoid a pothole.
The sector commander also said the remains of six of the victims have been identified and recovered immediately by their families.
He said the remaining nine bodies have been deposited at General Hospital Eruwa.
He said the rescue was done by the community and witnessed by the Chairman, Eruwa Local Government, Hon. Gbenga Obalowo.
The two vehicles which were said to be traveling in different directions collided and caught fire immediately.
An eye witness account said only two passengers survived the accident while others and the vehicles were razed beyond recognition.
The Chairman, Ibarapa East Local Government, Hon Gbenga Obalowo, who led a rescue team to the scene of the accident described it as pathetic and unfortunate.
He sympathized with the families of those who died in the incident adding that the two survivors are receiving medical attention at Awojobi Hospital in Eruwa, while the corpses of those burnt have been deposited at a morgue.
“It was a fatal accident hence it was a gory sight. We counted over twenty human bodies burnt completely. I learnt they had a head on collision and the two vehicles, a commercial bus and a Sienna which were both conveying passengers caught fire and got burnt beyond repair.
“Families whose loved ones usually ply this road and are yet to be reached should please contact parks in and around the town to confirm the identities of the victims in their manifests. I pray to the Lord to continue to guide and protect us wherever we may be”, Obalowo said.
He also appealed to motorists particularly commercial drivers to be more careful while on the wheel saying “though no one is perfect, our drivers however need to avoid over speeding. Many lives have been lost to avoidable road accidents.”
