Sallah tragedy: Eight killed in Akure-Owo road crash

At least eight persons travelling for the Eid- El- Kabir  celebration lost their lives in an auto crash along Akure/Owo expressway, in Ondo State.Three others sustained various degrees of injuries in the crash which occurred on Friday evening.Sunday Vanguard gathered that the deceased were travelling in a Toyota Sienna vehicle marked  Anambra ABN 214, which was  heading to Abuja.It was learnt that the vehicle, after overtaking dangerously, had a head -on collision with a truck marked Lagos LND 426 XC coming from the opposite directionAn eye witness said six of the nine passengers in the Sienna died on the spot.Two others reportedly died on their way to hospital after they were rescued.

Three other victims including passengers of the truck who were injured were last night, receiving treatment at the  Federal Medical Centre(FMC), Owo.Timely arrival of officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) and policemen at the scene of the crash saved the situation as those still alive were rescued.The Sienna was said to have been forcefully removed from under the truck by the FRSC officials and policemen.They had to use cutlasses and other instruments to cut open the bus before the victims were removed.The spokesman for Ondo State Police Command, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the crash.Ogodo said that the accident occurred  on Friday adding, that the three survivors were responding to treatmentThe police spokesman said that the driver of the truck escaped from the scene immediately the crash occurred.