A pregnant girl, together with 9 others, misplaced their lives in a lone accident that happened on Wednesday evening within the college neighborhood of Akungba-Akoko, Akoko South-West Native Authorities Space of Ondo State, involving a cement-laden truck.
The tragic accident occurred round 7:00 pm just a few metres from the principle gate of Adekunle Ajasin College, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), and the well-known Holy Trinity Church.
The articulated truck, which was travelling by the neighborhood from Obajana in Kogi State and allegedly owned by Dangote Cement, reportedly suffered brake failure earlier than crashing into merchants and different highway customers within the densely populated space.
A pregnant girl, a girl, and her little one, amongst others, have been recognized as casualties within the horrific accident, with many others injured.
As of press time, rescue operations by safety personnel have been ongoing, whereas the precise demise toll stays unconfirmed. Nonetheless, sources on the scene claimed at the least 10 fatalities, with six our bodies already recovered and lots of extra feared trapped beneath the wreckage.
Infuriated by the incident, enraged sympathisers blamed the accident on the elimination of the barricade that had been earlier mounted to forestall articulated autos from accessing the neighborhood.
The sympathisers, who thronged the accident scene, lamented that the tragedy had introduced again painful reminiscences of earlier accidents within the space, which claimed many lives over time.
One of many sources mentioned, “Some boys in the neighborhood had been utilizing the barricade erected to extort N10,000 from the truck drivers earlier than permitting them to go by. The federal government turned a blind eye.”
The Public Relations Officer of the AAUA Scholar Union Authorities (SUG), Akinibobola Ajidagba, acknowledged that “We remorse to tell the whole lot of the scholar populace that an articulated automobile belonging to the Dangote group of firms suffered a brake failure from Ikare en path to Akungba and has destroyed the everlasting barricade erected on the college major gate.
“Because it stands, near 10 folks have misplaced their lives resulting from this tragic incident. As we are able to all recall, the College students’ Union has made a number of efforts to make sure that vans cease plying Akungba roads, as this could pose a hazard to the lives and properties of our college students.
“We stay resolute within the assurance of this battle. We implore all college students to stay calm and be fearless, as we’re as much as the duty of sustaining peace and order inside the pupil neighborhood, and to steer clear of the freeway in the interim.”
Whereas confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Highway Security Corps within the state, Ibitoye, acknowledged that eight folks misplaced their lives within the accident.
He mentioned, “The deceased individuals embody 5 males, two females and one little one. The truck ran right into a barricade in entrance of Adekunle Ajasin College, Akungba Akoko, and misplaced management, ensuing within the crash.”
