TRAGEDY struck at the Idi-Arere area of Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, on Wednesday, when no fewer than five people were crushed to death by two waste collection trucks belonging to the Oyo State Waste Management Authority, while many people also sustained varying degrees of injury.
The accident, which occurred around 2.30 p.m., forced many traders at Bode, Molete and Oja-Oba markets to abandon their shops and ran for safety. Many commercial and private vehicle owners also left their vehicles on the ever-busy road to avoid being trapped in the vehicles by the waste collection trucks.
An eyewitness at the scene of the accident told Nigerian Tribune that the accident would have earlier occurred at Bode area of Ibadan where the two waste collection trucks began their journey en-route Saka-Pena/Idi-Arere area of Ibadan.
According to Saheed, an eyewitness, one of the two waste collection trucks that caused the fatal accident was stationary at Bode area of Ibadan after it developed a mechanical fault. “But around 1.05 p.m, another waste collection truck came to the spot where the first one was stationary to tow it to their office. The two trucks were tied together with a rope by the drivers and were moving towards Bere area of Ibadan, probably to their office to rectify the mechanical fault in the broken-down truck,” he stated.
However, on getting to Idi-Arere area of the city, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the rope connecting the two waste collection trucks snapped, forcing the truck at the rear to forcibly descend and crush many vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles in the process.
Nigerian Tribune also learnt that no less than eight tricycles popularly known as Keke Ajumose were crushed by the waste collection truck which led to the death of four people, including a mother and two of her children.
The accident also affected an army green metallic colour Honda Sunny car with registration number Lagos BJ 229 AGC, a haulage truck with registration number Ondo XE 317 NNG, a white Nissan vehicle with registration number OYO RUN 21XA and many other articulated lorries.
All the passengers inside the affected vehicles sustained serious injuries and some lost their legs and arms to the accident.
The driver of one of the affected vehicles, Mr Taofeek Adekunle, told Nigerian Tribune that he escaped from the vehicle by a whisker, but some of his passengers were however not lucky like himself as they lost their legs and arms to the fatal accident.
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