Commuters Feared Dead In Lagos Road Crash

Some passengers were feared dead on Sunday when a commercial bus plying Ikorodu and Idumota veered off the road and rammed into a commercial bus heading towards Yaba from the Ketu end.

An eyewitness told LEADERSHIP that the passenger bus, a Tata bus, which was overspeeding, had a brake failure, lost control and collided with vehicles coming in the opposite direction.

According to the eyewitness, the Tata bus, veering off its lane, probably due to the brake failure, skidded off the barricade before colliding with 14 14-passenger bus.

“The overspeeding Bus crushed an unknown number of passengers, “he said.

According to him, a baby girl and an adult woman lost their lives instantly. At the same time, unconfirmed reports maintained that those who died from the accident were more than eight because the mini commercial bus was fully loaded at the time of the accident.

As of the time of filing this report, operatives of LASTMA and public-spirited individuals were seen assisting in rescuing the injured passengers in the ill-fated vehicles.

“Ten passengers, including both drivers, were rescued with varying degrees of serious injuries. Six victims were pulled out from the mini 14-passenger bus, while four others were pulled from the wreckage of the Tata bus,” said one of the rescuers.

To prevent further accidents, Lagos State  Traffic Management  Authority (LASTMA) officials immediately cordoned off the scene and cleared the damaged vehicles, restoring traffic flow in the ever-busy road.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, while officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit evacuated the bodies of the deceased. Security personnel from the Ilupeju Police Division were involved in protecting the rescue exercise.

Reacting to the accident, LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing the death of the infant as “a heartbreaking reminder of the deadly cost of recklessness on the road.”

He extended condolences to the bereaved families, especially the injured mother. He urged motorists, particularly commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and ensure vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on any journey.