An expectant mother, a nursing mother and two kids were among the seven persons that were burnt to death when a Mazda bus conveying them went up in flames.
The diseases include 38-year-old nursing mother, Basirat Adebanjo and her two-year-old daughter, Abidat; Kafilah Akindele, Azeezah AbdulMajeed, Halimah Lawal, Shakirah Zakariyya and one Iya Al-Ameen.
Their bodies and five others have been taken to Dawah Centre, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.
Seven other persons with serious burns are receiving treatment at National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada and Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta – all in Lagos State.
The lone accident occurred a few metres away from Odogbolu junction along the Sagamu-Benin expressway.
They were going for a four-day training programme tagged Al-Mu’minaat Training Forum (ATF) at Vanguard Academy, Odosengolu near Ijebu-ode, Ogun State.
The annual training programme was organised by the national body Al-Mu’minaat (The Believing Women) Organisation.
The bus marked AGL 886 YD suddenly exploded from the engine side.
Spokesman of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident.
Akinbiyi said seven females had burns while seven other females were burnt beyond recognition.
“The lone fatal crash was coming from Kosofe area of Lagos, when its engine suddenly caught fire due to engine overflow (overfloat).
“The number of passengers in the commercial bus was 15, out of which seven females were burnt to death, while the remaining seven were seriously burnt and taken to hospital for treatment. However, the driver of the bus escaped.
“The Mazda bus had been taken to Odogbolu Motor Traffic Division of the Nigeria Police,” Akinbiyi said.
He commiserated with the families of the deceased, wished the injured speedy recovery and urged motorists to maintain their vehicles regularly as well as carry out a daily routine checks before setting out on a journey.
The National Amirah (President) of Al-Mu’minaat, Alhaja Nimatallah AbdulQadri, described the incident as shocking and saddening.
She said some with fractures have been taken to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi while others are in Gbagada General Hospital, Gbagada and Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Meta in Lagos.
Alhaja AbdulQadri prayed to Allah to grant those who died Al-Jannah firdaus (Paradise).
While commiserating with the victims and family of the deceased ones, she said the whole organisation is with them in the moment of grief.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
