10 killed, 36 injured as Osun truck plunges into ditch

No fewer than 10 people were reportedly killed in Osogbo capital of Osun State after a palm oil-laden truck plunged into a ditch in the early hours of Saturday.

The Nation gathered the accident happened around 2am when the truck, Volvo FL7 with registration number KMC 35 ZJ, was ascending the November 27 overhead bridge opposite the NECO office.

It was gathered the truck could not ascend the bridge and the driver lost control.

The truck then went on a reverse and fell into the ditch.

When The Nation visited the scene, one of the survivors said about 50 of them were involved in the accident.

“The accident happened around 2 am when some of us were sleeping on top of the kegs of palm oil in the truck.

“The truck fell into the ditch and about 10 of us were killed while others have been taken to Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo and one other public hospital,” the survivor confided.

One official of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) was on the ground as at the time our correspondent visited the scene.

The truck had been moved from the scene while other 14 passengers monitored the kegs of palm oil that littered the road.

Spokesperson for the FRSC Osun State Command, Mrs Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed eight persons dead and 36 others injured, noting that 61 persons were involved in the accident.

“The suspected cause of the accident was overload. The injured victims were taken to Osun State Teaching Hospital and Asubiaro Hospitals. Arrangements are ongoing to convey the dead victims to a mortuary.

“The vehicle which was heavily loaded with Jerry cans of palm oil and over 60 passengers was trying to ascend the ramp but started rolling backward and lost control. It fell sideways into the side drainage, throwing off the jerry cans over the passengers and killed some in the process,” she said.

-The Nation