Lagos Crash: Another Survivor Dies

One of the six remaining survivors of the Associated Airlines plane crash in Lagos on Thursday died Saturday, despite concerted efforts to save his life.

The death of the man, who was identified as Samson Hassan, has increased the total death toll from the plane crash to 15, with five survivors still battling for their lives.

The plane with 20 passengers on board was conveying the remains of former Ondo State governor Olusegun Agagu to his state for burial when it crashed few minutes after take-off in Lagos.

Hassan had along with another survivor, Taiwo Akintunde, been kept under close watch at the highly sterilised Intensive Care Unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.

THISDAY checks had on Friday revealed that both men were hooked up to sophisticated electronic monitors to help check their blood pressures and general health conditions.

The doctors and nurses at their beck and call at the unit battled to save his life, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

It was yet uncertain as at press time if the deceased's relatives had been alerted by the hospital authorities, although, THISDAY correspondent who visited the Lekan Ogunsola Memorial Home of LASUTH witnessed medical personnel discussing the incident in hushed tones.

One of the personnel who spoke on conditions of anonymity said the medical doctors on duty really tried their best to prevent a relapse but the degree of injury sustained by the deceased reduced his chances of recovery. His death was later confirmed by a release said to have emanated from one Mrs Bolanle Okusanya- Feyita, who spoke on behalf of the Magbamawo Industrial Company (MIC) Royal Ltd, where Hassan was a member of staff.

The company, one of the popular funeral undertaking outfits in the country, lost its Chief Executive Mr Olatunji  Okusanya, his son, Mr Olatunji Okusanya Jnr and  four members of staff- Mr Akeem Akintunde, Mr Chijioke Duru, Mr Kingsley Amaechi and now Hassan, in the crash.

The only female survivor at LASUTH, Toyin Samson, who  was at the Recuperating Ward of the Surgical Emergency ward was still stable, same as the duo of Feyi Agagu and Femi Akinsanya, who were at the BT unit. Also Saturday, the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test process finally kicked off after the families of the deceased persons stormed the morgue for the test.