Four Killed, Six Injured As Container Truck Overturns On Lagos Bridge
Four people have been killed and six others injured after a container-laden truck overturned onto a passenger bus on Berger Bridge, inward Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki Expressway in Lagos State.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.
According to the agency, the accident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when an articulated truck carrying a 20-foot container collided with a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number GME-589 ZU.
Oke-Osanyintolu said preliminary investigations indicated that the truck was ascending the bridge at excessive speed when it collided with the passenger bus. The driver reportedly lost control while attempting to avoid the collision, causing the truck to overturn onto the bus.
The incident claimed the lives of four adult males, who were confirmed dead at the scene, while six other adult males sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Following the accident, LASEMA emergency responders, in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force, secured the scene, administered first aid to the injured victims and evacuated them to Epe General Hospital for medical treatment.
The agency also secured the services of a private crane to recover the overturned truck and container and facilitate the safe evacuation of the deceased.
Oke-Osanyintolu said recovery operations were ongoing, while traffic management measures had been implemented to protect motorists and other road users along the affected corridor.
The state government expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured victims a speedy recovery.
In a separate incident, LASEMA’s Tiger Team from its C3 Base responded to a truck accident near Vetland School, inward Agege Pen Cinema, along Old Abeokuta Road, at about 4:09 a.m. on Wednesday.
The agency said the truck, with registration number KTU-940XT, rammed into a solar-powered streetlight pole before mounting the road median and obstructing traffic. Preliminary findings attributed the crash to reckless driving.
No casualties were recorded in the incident, although the streetlight pole and the front section of the truck were damaged.
To prevent further accidents and ease traffic congestion, responders diverted traffic and deployed the agency’s heavy-duty recovery equipment, known as Elephant, to remove the truck. The vehicle was subsequently taken to Abattoir Police Station for investigation and safekeeping, while the affected road was cleared and reopened to traffic.
In another incident, LASEMA’s Beta Team from its Igando Base responded to a collision involving a DAF truck with registration number SMK 795 XY and a Toyota Corolla with registration number AKD 169 EA at Lanre Bus Stop, inward Igando, along LASU-Igando Road.
The agency explained that a broken-down truck on the opposite side of the road had caused traffic congestion when the DAF truck, reportedly travelling against traffic, collided with the Corolla and blocked half of the road.
Although no fatalities were recorded, the Corolla driver sustained a minor head injury and was taken to Igando General Hospital by an associate.
The Corolla was towed to Igando Police Station, while LASEMA deployed its Super Metro recovery equipment to move the DAF truck to a lay-by. Recovery operations were still ongoing as of the time of the statement.
Following the series of incidents, Oke-Osanyintolu urged motorists to obey speed limits, avoid driving against traffic, refrain from reckless manoeuvres and ensure their vehicles were mechanically sound before embarking on journeys.
He also encouraged residents to report emergencies through the Lagos State government’s toll-free emergency numbers, 767 and 112.
