3 Dead, Scores Injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Multiple Accident

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Tragedy struck on Wednesday at the popular Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following a multiple accident that claimed three lives, leaving many others injured with varying degrees of injuries.

The incident which involved six vehicles occurred at about 3am at Kara bridge, outward Lagos state.

Confirming the incident, the General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, said the agency received a distress call about 3.08am concerning a tanker fire accident which resulted into multiple accidents with fatalities.

He said investigation carried out at the scene of incident revealed that a tanker laden with 33,000 litres of AGO (diesel) ran into a stationary truck carrying brewery products.
He also said investigations revealed that although the driver slammed on his brake, it still rammed into a stationary truck parked along the Kara Bridge, outward Lagos.

Following the impact of the clash, the petrol tanker eventually burst into flames, while the driver and his conductor were both trapped in the vehicle.

According to him, rescuers from the agency, alongside officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) as well as those from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and policemen from Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps were on ground to salvage the situation.

Tiamiyu advised road users especially articulated truck drivers to avoid over speeding and henceforth adhere to safety regulations while plying the road so as to forestall avoidable disasters.

He further said a full scale investigation on the incident would be carried out by appropriate authorities at the incident scene.

Also, the Spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in the South West Region, Ibrahim Farinloye, who also confirmed the incident said all rescuers combated the inferno for hours before it was successfully put out.

He said the NEMA’s coordinator in the South West Region, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, called on motorist to exercise extreme patience or better still follow alternative route.

He said the disaster assessment conducted at the scene revealed that about two containerized trucks, two trailers, one petrol tanker and a Toyota Corolla car were completely burnt.

He said, “Three dead bodies, all adult male were recovered. The recovery operations of the accidented burnt truck with the aid of LASEMA heavy duty equipment is presently ongoing so as to abate traffic gridlock which has built up on the Lagos Ibadan Express way.

“Also, the burnt carcasses have also been cleared off the road so as to restore normalcy as the traffic affected almost every part of the expressway up to Ikorodu road and even Alapere and Ogudu.”