15 dead, 17 injured in lone trailer crash on Kwara road
By Mosunmola Ayobami
15 people have died in a lone trailer crash along the Ogbomoso-Oko Olowo route of the Ilorin-Jebba Expressway in Kwara State, the Federal Road Safety Corps said on Monday.
The accident occurred near the Muslim Cemetery area at about 2:32 a.m. According to the FRSC, the crash involved a DAF XF trailer with registration number GWL 274 XC. A total of 48 male occupants were in the vehicle when the accident occurred.
The corps said 15 people died in the crash, while 17 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. 16 occupants, however, escaped unhurt.
The FRSC attributed the crash to driver fatigue. It added that the injured victims suffered fractures, dislocations and bruises and were taken to Arewa Medical Centre and Baki Hospital for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kabiru Babatunde Kazeem, identified the driver as Nasiru Muhammed, while disclosing that the bodies of the deceased had been released to their families through the Sarkin Hausawa of Oko Olowo in Moro Local Government Area.
Kazeem added that rescue workers were still searching for additional victims believed to be trapped beneath the trailer’s load. He said the operation was jointly carried out by personnel from RS8.15 Oloru and RS8.1 Kwara (Oko Olowo Outpost).
The sector commander said the command would intensify public enlightenment campaigns through town hall meetings with relevant stakeholders to improve road safety awareness across the state.
He also advised motorists to avoid mixed loading of passengers and goods, as well as night travel, stressing that adherence to road safety regulations remains essential to reducing fatal crashes on the nation’s highways.
