At least five people were confirmed dead while one person sustained critical injuries in a multiple accident, which occurred on Wednesday along the ever-busy Sango-Ota-Idiroko Road in the Ado-Odo Ota local government area of Ogun State.
The accident, which occurred at the Iju Waterworks bridge of the highway, involved a diesel-laden MAC tanker with registration number (LAGOS) KTU 258 XT, which rammed over a TVS commercial tricycle popularly called ‘Kaka Marwa’ marked (LAGOS) KSF 822 QL and two other vehicles and a motorcycle.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the fuel-laden tanker had developed a mechanical fault which resulted in it losing its breaking system, thereby making the driver to lose control of the truck.
The truck consequently rammed over the commercial tricycle and other passengers-bearing vehicles from the rear, before dumping them into the nearby canal.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ogun State-owned Traffic Compliance and Enforcement agency (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the accident to LEADERSHIP, said corpses of the deceased had been evacuated from the canal and deposited at the morgue of the state hospital in Sango-Ota, while the injured victim was also rescued to the same hospital for treatment.
Akinbiyi further stated that security operatives, which included the Police, TRACE Corps and operatives of the NSCDC were still awaiting the arrival of officials of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) with equipment to trans-load the petroleum product from the MAC tanker, which has caused serious traffic gridlock in the axis.
