Two final year students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, and driver have been burnt to death in a road accident on Wednesday evening in Osun State.

The 500-level Accounting students were said to be returning from an excursion to Erin-Ijesa Waterfall in Osun State when their vehicle somersaulted and caught fire around Ilobu-Okinni-Osogbo road.

A resident who spoke with journalists on Thursday said the driver conveying the students, hit a commercial motorcyclist in the town, and was trying to escape the rage of some angry residents chasing after him.

“Few meters from Ojutu Bridge, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the bus somersaulted and caught fire. Some people were rescued before the fire could spread, but three people were burnt to death. Operatives of O’Ambulance Scheme came around to rescue some of the victims.”

The Head of Operations, Elizabeth Arowosafe, said: “We responded around 9:53pm. I was told the driver had hit someone in Okinni and was speeding to avoid some people around the area chasing after him, when the incident happened.

“The driver alongside a lady and a male student were burnt to death. We were able to rescue 5 people. We rushed them to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital in Osogbo. The hospital did well. In fact, there was no enough space to accommodate the injured people and we had to leave one of our stretchers for them to use.

“We could not recognise the dead victims. They were travelling inside a bus. I learnt that the occupants of the bus are final year students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, who went to Erin-Ijesa waterfall for an excursion.

“One of the injured students confirmed to us that they were coming from an excursion. She gave us names of victims, but she didn’t have the strength to name the others,” she said.