Seven members of the Al-Mu’minaat (The Believing Women) Muslim Organisation, died in a ghastly road accident at Odogbolu in Ogun State on Wednesday.
Seven others are in critical conditions and initially rushed to the General Hospital in Ijebu-Ode.
The NewsZenith reports that among the dead were pregnant mother, nursing mother and babies.
It was gathered that they were referred to the Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital, Lagos due to their critical conditions.
They were going for a four-day annual training programme, tagged Al-Mu’minaat Training Forum (ATF) at Vanguard Academy, Odosengolu near Ijebu-ode, Ogun State when the accident occurred.
All the women in the bus are members of the ATF from the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The 16-seater bus, in which they were travelling went up in flame at Odogbolu junction along the Sagamu-Benin expressway.
The NewsZenith reports that the bus marked AGL-886-YD suddenly caught fire from the engine compartment.
The National Amirah (President) of Al-Mu’minaat, Alhaja Nimatallah AbdulQadri, described the incident as shocking and saddening.
She said some victims with fractures have been taken to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi Lagos.
AbdulQadri prayed to Allah to grant those who died, Al-Jannah Firdaus (Paradise).
While commiserating with the victims and family of the deceased ones, she said the whole organisation is with them in the moment of grief.
A delegate, who pleaded anonymity, said the training camp had been thrown into mourning.
”The incident has disrupted all programmes lined up for the four-day camping.
”The camp started on Tuesday with series of soul-lifting activities.
”But unfortunately, the incident filtered in has disrupted the entire programmes,” she told The NewsZenith on phone.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident.
Akinbiyi said seven females had burns while seven other females were burnt beyond recognition.
“The number of passengers in the commercial bus was 15, out of which seven females were burnt to death.
”The remaining seven were seriously burnt and taken to Ijebu-Ode General Hospital for treatment.
”However, the driver of the bus escaped,” he said.
He commiserated with the families of the deceased and wished the injured speedy recovery.
The officer urged motorists to maintain their vehicles regularly and carry out routine checks on their vehicle before setting out on a journey.
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