Emergency responders in Ibadan have rescued five passengers and recovered three bodies after a commercial bus plunged into a river along the Amuloko area of the city.
The accident occurred when a Suzuki passenger bus carrying eight people reportedly lost control and veered off the road into the Ariyo River on Amuloko Road.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande, confirmed the incident in a statement issued to journalists on Thursday.
According to him, the agency received an emergency alert on Wednesday from Fadeke Yusuf, prompting an immediate deployment of rescue personnel to the crash scene.
Akinwande said firefighters arrived to find the bus partially submerged in the river after it lost control.
Rescue teams were able to pull five passengers out alive from the wreckage. The injured survivors were taken to a private medical facility in the Ona-Ara area for urgent treatment.
The three victims who died in the crash were later recovered from the river and handed over to officers from the Nigeria Police Force at the Ogbere Divisional Police Headquarters, led by Aishat Ibrahim.
Authorities believe reckless driving may have contributed to the tragic accident.
Akinwande urged motorists to drive responsibly and adhere to road safety regulations to prevent similar incidents.
He also acknowledged the assistance of officials from the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) in the Ona-Ara division during the rescue operation.
The chairman further commended Temitope Kolapo Glorious, Chairman of Ona-Ara Local Government, for supporting the emergency response effort.
