A Toyota Hiace bus conveying 17 nurses on Sunday lost control along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway killing two and injuring 15 of the health workers in the process.

Confirming the incident, Spokesperson of Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, Babatunde Akinbiyi described the accident was as avoidable.

Akinbiyi explained that the accident, which occurred on Sunday at 9:20 am, was caused by the driver’s use of a handset while driving at a neck-breaking speed.

The TRACE spokesman told NAN that the driver consequently lost control of the vehicle resulting in an accident involving 18 people, which comprised one male and 17 female nurses.

“One of the survivors said the driver of the Toyota Hiace bus, marked OG 49A 07, who was speeding and as well using his cellphone while driving around a bend, lost control and somersaulted several times. “The occupants in the bus were nurses who were all heading to a party to honour a matron in one of the hospitals in Abeokuta,” he said.

Akinbiyi explained that the injured were evacuated to Hope Hospital, Adigbe, Abeokuta, while the two corpses were deposited at the morgue of the General Hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta.

The TRACE spokesman enjoined motorists to avoid excessive speed, especially during the rainy season, and also not to use mobile phone while driving.

He said most accidents were avoidable if rules and regulations were followed.