By Emmanuel Edukugho
In the aftermath of the tragicDana plane crash on that fateful Sunday June 3, at Iju-Ishaga in which about 170 people perished, life can not be the same again for the survivors now thrown into gloom.

However, families who lost their loved ones – wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, children,and even friends will need so much time to overcome the pain and sorrow caused by the deadly crash.

It was a Sunday, meant for rest and worship of God by most Christians all over the world. Many people had gone to church and returned home as at the time the Dana plane flight 0992 with 153 passengers and six crew members crashed into some houses in a large compound killing all of them.

Occupants of some buildings affected by the plane crash which occurred at the bustling Iju-Ishaga suburb of the sprawlingLagosmetropolis on that dark Sunday also died, while others sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital.

Okusanya Street, Iju-Ishaga is the main entry into the clumsy, complex area with adjoined Popoola Street that the 2-storey building faced whose third floor the ill-fated plane rammed into before nose diving deep into the ground which contained Ojasope-Alhaja compound and churches, bound by Olaniyi and Tolulope streets.

Wreckage of Dana Airline which crashed in Iju Isaga on Sunday. Photo:Joe Akintola, Diran Oshe and Lamidi Bamidele,

Ironically, the person who owns the 3-storey house that the plane  hit towards the eventual deadly crash had left the building and gone to church elsewhere with his wife, three children, an aged mother and the househelp. The crash happened while they were away. According to him, “the only thing I have is what we left home to the church with.” His loss seemed unquantifiable as behind the building were the businesses he was running, including cars, and other properties estimated at millions of naira – all destroyed. At about 5.15 pm on Tuesday, we watched as Julius Berger caterpillar finally pulled down the building by the side of the plane wreckage.

No. 4 Okusanya Streethas some blocks of flats and other structures around directly inside the crash scene and across the wreckage site.

Mrs. Ojiagha, anEdowoman owns the land, but does not reside in the property. She is based at Lambe,OgunState, around Tipper Garage area. She has been coming down everyday since  the accident occurred.

Some of the tenants in the building who survived as the block of flats was not affected expressed their worries to Saturday Vanguard.

Opposite this compound, isNo. 3 Okusanya Streetwith an uncompleted storey building. Although people are already staying inside the decked ground flat.

As the plane went low, hovering around the neighbourhood looking for where to crashland  because it was already in distress, it flew just above the building, its wing smashing through a huge mango tree and another coconut tree planted side by side chopping off both trees to the trunk, moving towards No. 4 Okusanya, then the pilot managed to swerve the aircraft to the right and finally crashed there.

The occupant of the uncompleted upstair building  with a black Mercedes Benz car parked in front, a Winners Chapel member, was describing how the plane glided over his house, hit those trees and crashed across in the adjacent compound. He did not give his name.

Mr. Olatunji Lawal lives in one of the four one-bedroom flats in the block house atNo. 4 Okusanya Street. He pointed to the empty space in the compound right in front of the house where President Goodluck Jonathan stood in his visit to the crash site to see things by himself accompanied by Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, the Acting Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar, Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Odua-Ogienwonyi, Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation, Hope Uzodinma, Chairman House Committee on Aviation, Nkikruka Onyejiocha and other top public functionaries.

Our wives and children have been evacuated, because this house is not habitable again. The trees opposite prevented the plane from crashing into our house. Government should come to our assistance. NEMA says there is a clinic around, but we can’t see anything,” Lawal bemoaned. He said that they saw the plane coming directly and we were at home.

“Trees were brushed aside, people following the plane knew it was going to crash. Thank God I’m alive. We suffered shock, although my blood pressure can’t be ascertained because of my eye problem. With the rain, the roof of the house is leaking, the foundation is affected, the house itself shaky.

“We were sleeping and at about 3-4pm, we were awoken by a thunderous sound from sleep. We ran out of the house, thinking the house was collapsing. Some cows were grazing in front of the house, and when the accident happened, hoodlums came and slaughtered the cows, going away with different parts.”

He added: “Already the plane had crashed, fire had started. We saw people crying for help and those trapped in some houses. Before police and fire fighters arrived, there were individual rescue efforts. Even as we are talking, some people are still trapped, rescue work is still going on.”

The area was cordoned off. There were no relief materials for survivors – food, water not provided. They were cut off from essential needs and their sanitary situation is appalling.

Mr. Olakunle Olanipekun, a survivor, said  no place was provided for them and asked the government to assist.

We slept inside the church on the fateful day.

A sensitive government will collect all data. If it had happened in the North, affected persons will be taken care of. We need to be relocated.”

Some of those not dead or in hospital blamed government for the neglect. Any government which has the welfare of its citizens at heart should know what to do.

But if it is inVictoria Islandor Ikoyi, government will do something to alleviate the hardship of survivors, but nothing done because this place Iju-Ishaga is for the down trodden. Different people came here to take down names, but nobody from government has done so. Everyone left to fate.

Eye Witness Account

Tunde Isa, a youth told Saturday Vanguard that he was among those who traced the plane as it flew very low.

“We were on motorcycles following the plane to see where it will crash. When it crashed, for over 30 minutes, nothing done. Some boys even went on top of the plane to remove the aluminum wings and other things around. I saw someone like the pilot and two white women on the ground and were burning. I couldn’t go near.”

One eye witness said had the pilot not emptied the fuel tank, before crashing, most of the buildings would have been razed to the ground. He praised the courage, skill and dexterity of the pilot who painstakingly looked for where to land but futile. The pilot surveyed the area including the Iju water works area but decided not to land there.

Yinka, a vulcanizer who saw the plane in distress, praised the pilot for avoiding a situation that could have caused more causalities and destruction of houses.

“He seemed to have looked round the area as the plane came very low and then crashed in the place where there was minimum ground causalities. This area is heavily populated and tight,” he said.

Some residents who spoke expressed dismay that a plane with mechanical faults said to be 22 years old when it was bought as second hand could be used for flight frequently, hereby putting innocent lives in danger.

“Such a thing can only happen inNigeriawhere anything goes. These foreigners (Indians) can’t do such a thing in their country because they will go to jail for such wanton negligence and recklessness,” James Pelumi, an auto mechanic told Saturday Vanguard at the crash site.

A woman who lived atTolulope Streetsaid she sent her little daughter on errand in the neighbourhood when the plane crashed with a big bang. “I ran out in frantic search for the girl who was confused and frightened before I saw her and hurriedly brought her back home. I thanked God she was not missing. “There were three children in similar circumstances sent on an errand by their parents but could not recognise their house as only part of it was standing after the disaster. Their parents killed. They were rescued by the governor.

One of the armed soldiers controlling the surging crowd away from the wreckage zone said an army general who bought a ticket for the ill-fated flight but did not board the plane rejoiced that he was not among the dead as many people had believed. His name was on the first manifest issued by Dana Airline which contained names of those who bought tickets but did not fly, were included.

It was gathered that response to the distress all of the pilot was slow. The pilot had alerted the rescue emergency operatives on the ground at 11 nautical miles till getting to four nautical miles with just three minutes to getting to the airport when the plane crashed.