Just In : Eight Killed, 36 Injured As Truck Carrying 60 Passengers Suffers Break Failure

Some persons have been reportedly killed as a truck carrying no fewer than 60 passengers fell into a ditch in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Saturday morning.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the accident happened at about 2am while the truck was ascending the overhead bridge at around Africa area of Osogbo.

Some of the injured persons told our correspondent at the scene that the driver applied the break when he discovered that the truck could not ascend the hilly road and was rolling back.

However, the vehicle reportedly suffered break failure and the driver lost control as it rolled uncontrollably into a ditch at the foot of the hilly road.

The truck was laden with palm oil and the passengers.

The passengers, mostly northerners, who were said to be seated on top of the kegs of palm oil on the fully loaded truck were reportedly flunged in different directions as the vehicle plunged into the ditch.

Some of the passengers whose injuries were not serious told journalists that the dead, numbering about 10, had been taken to mortuary.

Some of the injured victims were said to have been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo ( formerly LAUTECH Teaching Hospital) while others were taken to Aasubiaro General Hospital.

The truck was coming from Ore, in Ondo State and was traveling to the northern part of the country.

Our correspondent observed that one official of the Federal Road Safety Corps was at the scene of the crash at around 10:30am.

The Public Relations Officer for the Federal Road Safety Corps in Osun State, Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed the accident .

She said, ” The vehicle which was heavily loaded with jerry cans of palm oil and over 60 passengers. It was trying to ascend the ramp but started rolling backwards and lost control.

” It fell sideways into the side drainage, throwing off the jerry cans over the passengers and killed eight of them and 36 sustained injuries in the process.”