From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
No fewer than 15 persons, have been confirmed dead while 17 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a lone trailer crash along the Ogbomoso-Oloru Road at Oko-Olowo in Kwara State.
The tragic accident occurred at about 2:32 a.m. on Monday near the Muslim Cemetery in Oko-Olowo, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kwara Sector Command.
The crashed vehicle, a DAF XF trailer with registration number GWL 274 XC, was reportedly driven by Nasiru Muhammed, and was conveying 48 male occupants when the incident occurred.
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The FRSC said preliminary investigations identified driver fatigue as the cause of the fatal crash.
According to the report, 15 occupants lost their lives, while 17 others suffered injuries, including fractures, dislocations and bruises. Sixteen passengers escaped unhurt.
The injured victims were evacuated to Arewa Medical Centre and Baki Hospital for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were released to their families through the Sarkin Hausawa of Oko-Olowo for burial.
The rescue operation was jointly carried out by personnel of the FRSC Oloru Unit Command and the Oko-Olowo Outpost.
The Corps disclosed that rescue teams were still searching for additional victims feared trapped beneath the trailer’s load at the time of filing the report.
The Kwara Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kabiru Babatunde Kazeem, was at the scene of the crash to coordinate ongoing rescue and recovery operations.
Speaking on the incident, the Sector Commander, said the command would intensify public enlightenment campaigns through town hall meetings with relevant stakeholders to reduce the recurrence of such crashes.
He also advised motorists to avoid mixed loading of passengers and goods as well as night journeys, stressing that compliance with road safety regulations remains essential to preventing avoidable loss of lives.
The incident was confirmed in a statement issued by the Acting Officer-in-Charge of the FRSC Oko-Olowo Outpost, SRC Taofeeq Sanusi.
