Three die, five rescued, as bus plunges into river in Oyo

Five people were rescued alive while three others lost their lives after a passenger bus plunged into the Ariyo River along Amuloko Road in Ibadan.

The incident was confirmed by the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Maroof Akinwande, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday in Ibadan.

According to Akinwande, the agency received a distress call on Wednesday from a resident, Mrs Fadeke Yusuf, reporting that a vehicle had plunged into the river. Emergency responders were immediately dispatched to the scene.

He explained that upon arrival, firefighters found a Suzuki passenger bus with registration number LEW 484 XA from Osun State carrying eight passengers that had lost control before crashing into the river.

Rescue teams were able to pull five passengers out of the water alive. The injured victims were taken to a private hospital in the Jegede area for medical attention.

However, three bodies were recovered from the river and handed over to officers from the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Ogbere Divisional Headquarters. The team was led by Aishat Ibrahim.

Akinwande attributed the accident to reckless driving and urged motorists to exercise caution and obey traffic regulations to prevent similar tragedies.

He also commended the efforts of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority, Ona Ara Division, and the Chairman of Ona Ara Local Government Area, Glorious Temitope, for their support during the rescue operation.