The people of Osun were thrown into mourning early hours on Saturday as truck conveying palm oil plunged into a ditch.
No fewer than 10 people were reportedly killed and 36 injured in the process.
The incident happened around 2 am, when the vehicle was ascending the November 27 overhead bridge opposite the NECO office and sudenly lost control as it could not ascend.
The truck, Volvo FL7 with registration number KMC 35 ZJ, then went on a reverse and fell into the ditch.
One of the survivors told NewsSpecng that about 50 of them were involved in the accident.
“The accident happened around 2 am when some of us were sleeping on top of the kegs of palm oil in the truck.
“The truck fell into the ditch and about 10 of us were killed while others have been taken to Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo and one other public hospital,” the survivor confided.
One official of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) was on the ground as at the time our correspondent visited the scene.
The truck had been moved from the scene while other 14 passengers monitored the kegs of palm oil that littered the road.
Spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) Osun State Command, Mrs Agnes Ogungbemi confirmed eight persons dead and 36 others injured, noting that 61 persons were involved in the accident.
“The suspected cause of the accident was overload. The injured victims were taken to Osun State Teaching Hospital and Asubiaro Hospitals. Arrangements are ongoing to convey the dead victims to a mortuary.
” The vehicle which was heavily loaded with Jerry cans of palm oil and over 60 passengers was trying to ascend the ramp but started rolling backward and lost control. It fell sideways into the side drainage, throwing off the jerry cans over the passengers and killed some in the process,” she said.
