Arik Air operational truck crushes staff, injures another

A staff of Arik Airline, who was hit by an airside operational vehicle belonging to the airline at the apron of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) on Sunday, died on Tuesday morning. Another staff, who was injured, is said to be in critical condition. The deceased, Mr Olamilekan Raheem Quadri, a graduate of Political Science (Education) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, who has been in the employment of the airline since 2009, was said to be in his early 30s . The injured staff was said to be in critical condition in the hospital as a result of the injury he suffered in the accident while the driver of the truck reportedly fainted when he heard the passing on of the deceased. He was rushed to the same hospital where the deceased’s body was deposited. An official of the airline confirmed the incident. According to information gathered, the incident occurred when the brake of the truck popularly called bouncer failed at the airside. Quadri before his death was an aircraft cleaner and was said to be on duty along with a new staff who was engaged about three weeks ago . A source close to the airline revealed that the vehicle hit the deceased in the chest and compressed him to the body of the aircraft parked at the apron. Quadri died as a result of internal bleeding . A friend of the deceased, Mr Ajisafe Aderemi, alleged that the deceased was abandoned in the hospital by the airline since the incident occurred on Sunday night. The deceased was admitted at Kupa Medical Centre at No 6, Olabode Street, 7&8 Road along the Murtala Mohammed Airport Road. According to him: “Quadri before the incident was an aircraft cleaner with Arik Air and on the day of the incident, he was supervising a new staff who was recruited recently by the airline. It was in the process that an airside operational vehicle hit him and the other staff on duty. He didn’t die immediately. He was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately, he was abandoned by the airline and he died thereafter. “On Monday morning, he called us at home to bring another cloth for him, but we were surprised to hear today that he gave up the ghost at 4.00a.m. We were told that he died as a result of internal bleeding suffered from the impact of the accident. But when we got to the airline’s headquarters today (yesterday), they were not ready to give us information about his death. In fact, they don’t want to be responsible for his burial. It’s as if they want to leave everything to his family members even when he died on duty.” Confirming the incident, an official of the airline said that the deceased worked in the appearance unit of the airline before he died. He confirmed that the deceased staff was hit by a service truck while carrying out his duty on Sunday night, but stated that he was immediately rushed to a hospital where doctors on duty assured that he was in a stable condition. He added, “the management of the airline kept monitoring the staff’s health condition until Tuesday morning when he passed away. The cause of the accident is still being investigated by the management of Arik Air. The management of Arik Air is deeply grieved by the loss and commiserates with the family of the deceased.”