Tragedy struck on Thursday evening when a commercial bus plunged into the Ovia River in Edo State, leaving multiple passengers trapped and others dead.
The Edo State Sector Command of the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) has confirmed that six persons were rescued, while two corpses were recovered from the river.
According to Mr. Cyril Mathew, Edo Sector Commander of the FRSC, “Six people were rescued, while one was recovered dead yesterday. Another body was recovered today.”
However, he noted that the chances of survival for the remaining passengers trapped in the river are slim, given the time that has elapsed since the accident occurred.
The rescue mission, which began on Thursday, continued into Friday, with divers engaged to help recover the bodies. However, negotiations are ongoing, as the divers are requesting N2 million to carry out the recovery.
The accident occurred at about 4:20 pm on Thursday when a bus traveling from Lagos to Port Harcourt veered off the highway and plunged into the river. According to passengers who survived the crash, the driver lost control of the bus after experiencing brake failure.
In a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with vehicles in front, the driver veered into the opposite lane, leaving the Ore-Benin-Lagos route and crossing over to the Benin-Ore road. However, due to the speed of the vehicle, the driver was unable to regain control, causing the bus to hit a pavement and plunge into the river.
The FRSC has urged caution and vigilance on the roads, as investigations into the cause of the accident continue.
“Unfortunately, the chances of survival of the remaining passengers in the river are slim, given that the accident occurred yesterday evening. We have engaged divers to help recover the bodies, but negotiations are ongoing,” Mr. Mathew said.
“The divers are asking for N2 million to carry out the recovery,” he added.
Mr. Mathew further explained, “According to passengers who survived the crash, the driver lost control of the bus after experiencing brake failure. In a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with vehicles in front, the driver veered into the opposite lane, leaving the Ore-Benin-Lagos route and crossing over to the Benin-Ore road.”
