- The FRSC began the rescue mission on Thursday evening and is still working to recover the remaining bodies.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo state has revealed that its personnel successfully saved six lives and recovered two bodies after a bus crashed into the Ovia River.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Benin, the state capital, Edo state FRSC sector commander, Cyril Mathew, shared the details of the rescue operation.
Mathew explained that specialized divers had been called in to rescue passengers still trapped in the river.
The rescue mission began on Thursday evening, immediately after the accident occurred.
“Six people were rescued alive, while one was recovered dead yesterday. Another body was recovered dead today.”
Regrettably, the chances of survival for the remaining passengers in the river are extremely low, given the time that has elapsed since the accident.
Negotiations are ongoing with divers to aid in the recovery of the bodies, but they are demanding a fee of N2 million.
According to Mathew, the accident occurred at approximately 4:20 pm on Thursday when a bus traveling from Lagos to Port Harcourt swerved off the highway and crashed into the river.
“According to passengers who survived the crash, the driver lost control of the bus after experiencing brake failure,” the FRSC reported.
In a last-ditch effort to avoid a collision with vehicles ahead, the driver swerved into the opposite lane, diverting from the Ore-Benin-Lagos route to the Benin-Ore road.
Due to the vehicle’s high speed, the driver was unable to regain control, resulting in the bus hitting a pavement and plunging into the river.