A devastating accident at the popular Eleyele bus stop, Ibadan where trader shade their goods in on Wednesday afternoon resulted in numerous fatalities and injuries when a truck loaded with granite lost control and crashed into the park garage.
Eyewitness accounts stated that the truck, coming from the opposite direction, initially struck a group of roadside traders before barreling into the garage, where it also struck other people selling at the park, leaving three dead, many injured.
A Micra driver plying Eleyele/Sango route who spoke with Oodua News over the issue on the condition of anonymity confirmed that three traders lost their lives in the accident.
An anonymous eyewitness who described the fatal accident as tragic and devastating, said the development had since thrown many of the traders into mourning.
The driver of the truck was said to have fled the scene to avoid being mobbed by angry mobs in the area, a development which further complicated the tragic occurrence.
Rescue operations, security agencies including members of the Oyo State Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were at the scene to rescue the victims.
Emergency responders were also at the scene to ensure normalcy, and to prevent the road from being blocked by the development
In a telephone interview, Rosemary Alo, the Oyo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, confirmed the tragic incident.
She stated that the roadside traders had previously been warned about the dangers of conducting business in the area.
“If they had heeded these warnings, we could have potentially reduced the number of casualties,” she remarked.
Alo also indicated that efforts would be intensified in collaboration with the local government chairman of the area to enforce a ban on street trading in the vicinity, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.
