The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Edo State has announced that its men have rescued six and recovered two bodies after a bus plunged into the Ovia River.
The Edo state FRSC sector commander, Cyril Matthew, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Benin, the state capital.
Matthew said that divers had been contacted to recover the passengers trapped in the river.
News About Nigeria reports that the agency began the rescue mission on Thursday evening when the accident happened.
“Six people were rescued alive, while one was recovered dead yesterday. Another body was recovered dead today.
“Unfortunately, the chances of survival of the remaining passengers in the river are slim, given that the accident occurred Thursday evening,
“We have engaged divers to help recover the bodies, but negotiations are ongoing. ‘The divers are asking for N2 million to carry out the recovery,” he said.
He said the accident occurred about 4:20 pm on Thursday when a bus travelling from Lagos to Port Harcourt veered off the highway and plunged into the river.
“According to passengers who survived the crash, the driver lost control of the bus after experiencing brake failure,” the FRSC said.
“In a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with vehicles in front, the driver veered into the opposite lane, leaving the Ore-Benin-Lagos route and crossing over to the Benin-Ore road.
“Due to the speed of the vehicle, the driver was unable to regain control, causing the bus to hit a pavement and plunge into the river.”
