An unidentified vehicle on Monday plunged into the Ovia River in Edo State few days after eleven people lost their lives in an accident on the same bridge,along the Benin-Ore Express Road.
The vehicle believed to be a pick-up van and its occupants was said to have again hit vehicles that have slowed down to pass through the dilapidated bridge.
But,there is conflicting report concerning the kind of vehicle that plunged into the river as while an eye witness said it was a fully loaded sienna bus, the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) said it was a ford pick-up truck that plunged into the river.
The accident was said to have happened a few minutes before the Deputy Governor of the state, Rt. Hon Philip Shaibu arrived at the scene while on an inspection visit to the place as a result of last Thursday’s incident.
He was said to have mobilized funds for local divers to find survivors inside the river and a specialized vehicle that could pull out the plunged vehicle from the river.
When contacted, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Paul Okpe said that rescue efforts were ongoing and being coordinated by his men who he said were immediately deployed to the scene from the Commission’s office at the old Toll Gate and he was waiting for their final report.
He said “Five vehicles were involved; the truck that hit them and four vehicles who had slowed down to pass the bridge. Three of them and the truck are except the one that plunged into the river.
“You know Ovia River is in a valley so vehicles especially trucks coming from both ends are always descending a slope and there are always small vehicles slowing down to access the bridge. I have been talking to the Federal Controller of Works and he has said they were going to fix it.
So far, no life has been lost as the one person who was trapped in a Lexus Jeep when the truck ran into them has been rescued and he is in the hospital.
The deputy governor was there and facilitated the mobilization of divers and a towing vehicle to the area. As I speak my men are still there so we have to wait until they are through with their efforts and those of the divers but they said the vehicle that plunged into the river was like a ford truck so we will wait for them to get the whole details.” He said.
