By Raji Rasak
The management of General Hospital Badagry, near Lagos State, on Sunday night, released the bodies of 15 dead passengers to their relatives.
Dr Olatunde Bakare, the Medical Director of the hospital, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Badagry.
Bakare added that that eight other injured passengers had also been discharged and handed over to their relatives.
He said relatives of the discharged passengers had insisted in taking them to Benin Republic for further treatment.
According to the medical director, 13 passengers were brought to the hospital dead while 10 of them were gravely injured.
“We started treating them immediately but unfortunately two of them gave up the ghost during the treatment making the dead to increase to 15 altogether.
“Their relatives from Benin Republic came to identify them and later brought Police report, saying they want to continue their treatment at home in Cotonou.
“They also brought Police reports asking us to release their dead bodies to them so that they can go and bury them at home.
“So, eight treated passengers and 15 dead bodies involved in a fatal accident on Sunday morning have been released to their relatives and they have taken them to Benin Republic,” he said.
Bakare said that the injured passengers enjoyed free medical treatment, courtesy of the Lagos State Government and General Hospital, Badagry.
“We did not collect money from any of them, all the drugs, bloods and services rendered are paid for by the Lagos State Government and the General Hospital,” he said.
NAN reports that no fewer than 14 persons, including a four-month-old baby, died on Sunday morning in an auto accident along Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Lagos.
Mr Williams Manga, Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, disclosed this to NAN in Badagry on Sunday.
Manga said that nine other persons sustained injuries in the accident, which occurred at Agemowo axis of the road, at about 7. 31 a.m.
He said a Mazda commercial bus with registration number MUS 411 XU, carrying 19 passengers, travelling from Lagos end, collided with a granite-filled truck with registration number AKM 926YQ, coming from Badagry end of the highway.
(NAN)