3 Dead, 5 Rescued As Reckless Driving Leads To Tragedy In Oyo!

The peaceful afternoon in the Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State was shattered on Wednesday as a commercial bus, loaded with passengers, veered off the road and plunged into the Ariyo River.

The horrific accident, which occurred along the busy Amuloko Road, has left the community in mourning as three passengers were confirmed dead, while five others were pulled from the wreckage in a high-stakes rescue operation.

Men of the Oyo State Fire Service arrived at the scene shortly after the plunge to begin a frantic search for survivors. According to official reports, the team managed to rescue five persons alive from the sinking vehicle.

Akinwande disclosed that the five survivors were immediately rushed to the Ona-Ara Private Hospital in the Jegede area for emergency medical attention.

Despite the best efforts of the rescue crew, three bodies were recovered from the river. The remains have since been handed over to a police team from the Ogbere Divisional Headquarters, led by ASP Aishat Ibrahim.

Akinwande stated:

“A Suzuki bus (Osun) LEW 484 XA with eight (8) passengers lost control and crashed into a river. Five (5) persons were rescued alive and conveyed to Ona–Ara private hospital, while three (3) persons recovered were handed over to the police.”

Authorities have attributed the tragedy to human error. The Fire Service boss noted that the incident was the direct result of reckless driving.

The rescue scene was also attended by a crew from the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) and the Chairman of Ona Ara Local Government, Hon. Glorious Temitope.

The incident has sparked fresh concerns among residents regarding the safety of the Amuloko road and the speed at which commercial drivers navigate the river-adjacent route.