4 FUTA students die in road crash

 Four students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, yesterday died in a road accident on the Akure-Ilesha expressway in Ifedore Local Government Area of the State.

The spokesman of the Police Command in Ondo State, Mr Femi Joseph, confirmed the incident and said that 11 others sus­tained various degrees of injuries.

The students were said to be returning from Ibadan after attending a religious programme.

Joseph further confirmed that the remains of the stu­dents were deposited at the Ondo State Specialist Hos­pital, Akure, where those injured were hospitalised.

No fewer than 15 stu­dents were in the Hiace bus when the accident hap­pened.

The police spokesman said that preliminary inves­tigation had revealed that the accident involved a Hi­ace bus carrying the students and a motorcycle.

``The accident happened when the bus’ driver lost control while trying to avoid the motorcycle that suddenly appeared on the highway.

“The bus somersaulted several times after trying to manoeuvre its way,’’ Joseph said, adding that policemen and marshals of the Federal Road Safety Commission were on the scene to assist the deceased and the injured.

Mr Segun Oladele, Presi­dent of the FUTA chapter of the Students’ Union Govern­ment (SUG), who also con­firmed the deaths, said that those injured were respond­ing to treatment.