NO fewer than 19 passengers, including 11 children, escaped death by the whiskers in the ancient city of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Friday night when a bus in which they were travelling plunged into a river on Moshood Abiola Way.

The accident, which occurred around 8.00pm, was believed to have been caused by a downpour that started around 6.00pm and lasted for about three hours.

The bus with registration number, Lagos TU 492 KJA, in which there were eight persons, plunged into the river as the bridge, part of which had been washed away, was completely covered by the massive water on the highway.

The survivors were said to be returning home after attending a programme at a church, less than two kilometres from the scene of the incident.

Several other cars were reportedly trapped along the road as they were said to have developed one problem or the other,  leading to a terrible logjam.

It was learnt that it took the timely intervention of the men of the Ogun State Police Command who ensured that the trapped occupants of the bus were rescued while the officers of the State Fire Service were reported to have arrived the scene 45 minutes after the occupants had been rescued.

Some residents of the town, who were part of the rescue operation,commended the effort of the Police for reacting promptly to the distress call while blaming the state government over what they described as “lackadaisical attitude” in reconstructing the affected part of the road.

Some of the survivors, who did not want their names in print, could not explain how the incident happened but thanked God for sparing their lives.

It will be recalled that the state capital witnessed a major flood disaster about two months ago as property worth millions of naira were destroyed.