By Sunmola Olowookere &  Victor Akinkuolie
|
Iworoko town, a sub of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital was still in mourning yesterday following the death of a nursing mother, a corps member and 13 others in a motor accident on Saturday night.

Our correspondent who visited the distraught community observed that nearly everyone wore a pensive mood.

Even the cheery visit of the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi did not lift the spirit of the people as some broke down in tears as they recalled the anguish which the victims went through when the truck loaded with rice crashed into shops.

An eye witness and a university student who preferred to remain anonymous said the truck upturned and spilled its contents on the road as well as trapped people underneath the vehicle.

Unconfirmed report said many of the victims were said to be university students.

The Hope Metro learnt that the fatal accident which has thrown the whole community into mourning, occurred at about 8.45pm on Saturday, and claimed the lives of a nursing mother and her child, including a member of the National Youths service corps (NYSC)   and thirteen others.

It was further learnt that four other persons who sustained severe injuries the crash include students of the Ekiti State University, and whose identities were not yet known and trader in the area.

Crowd thronged the area following the crash. Able bodied men embarked on rescuing the victims. While some were seen standing standing in groups discussing the accident, others were more emotional as they cried for the lives lost.

According to reports, the town which acts as host to the Ekiti State University usually witnessed truck accidents before at a sharp bend in the outskirts of the town in which students and residents alike would rush to the scene to pack the upturned goods from the truck.

However, the recent accident was an unfortunate event and one which had left the residents in a horrible shock as they count their losses of lives and properties.

According to an eyewitness account, Mrs Bosede Aladejana, the truck which was laden with rice lost control in the heart of the town and crashed into a barber’s shop and fatally wounded the occupants in the shop.

She explained that as soon as the people in the market noticed the dangerous movement of the truck, the people had run for their lives.

She said that the shop was usually busy with customers due to its location and that youths usually flocked to the shop to charge their phones.

She narrated that some of the residents who were not sure whether their children or wards were affected appeared agitated as they flocked to the scene and frantically evacuated the area.

Also affected by the accident was a blue Toyota Camry car which had its rear end bashed in and mangled up to the back seat.

The victims that were evacuated from the accident scene were rushed to the Ekiti State Specialist Hospital in Ado Ekiti.

Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi on Sunday morning was at Iworoko Ekiti to condole with the families that lost their loved ones to the accident that occurred at the roadside market in Iworoko Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government.

Egbeyemi who expressed sadness on the incident said the state government is grieving with Iworoko people on the tragedy.

The deputy governor inspected the crash site of the articulated vehicle to have a first hand assessment of the unfortunate incident before heading to the palace of the Alaworoko to sympathise with the king and his chiefs.

Addressing the people after coming out of the palace, he urged them to be calm and never be involved in any act of violence in reaction to the incident.

 The Deputy Governor  appealed for patience as government would investigate the immediate and remote cause of the incident.

After leaving Iworoko Ekiti , the Deputy Governor visited Ekiti State Teaching Hospital to check on victims that survived the mishap. Speaking at EKSUTH, he thanked God for sparing the lives of the survivors and also promised that government will foot the medical bills .