9 passengers are reported to have been crushed to death as a 20 feet container-laden truck fell on a commercial bus at the Ojuelegba area of Lagos State.
According to Channels, investigations showed that the commercial bus was picking up passengers at the bus stop along the Ojuelegba Bridge when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge.
Officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), who were on ground for rescue and evacuation activities, suspended the container and cut off the top of the bus to rescue a woman and take her to the trauma centre.
LASEMA confirms 9 deaths including children
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, explained that the 9 victims recovered comprised 4 adult males, 3 adult females, a girl child and a boy child.
- Oke-Osanyintolu said, “Upon arrival at the scene, a truck conveying a 20ft container was found to have landed on top of a commercial bus.
- “Further investigations revealed that the bus was picking up passengers when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge.
- “After suspending the container load with the aid of the Agency’s forklift and cutting off the top of the bus with light rescue equipment, a single adult woman was extricated alive and taken to the trauma centre.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) also issued a terse statement confirming the accident and said that efforts are being made to rescue the victims.
- The LASTMA statement reads, “A container laden truck has fallen on a bus at Ojuelegba, inwards Fadeyi. The effort is currently being made toward rescue and evacuation.
- “Recovery of the fallen container is still ongoing, though it has been taken off on top of the minibus but is yet to be completely removed from the location, traffic is still on hold, and we have a backlog of traffic presently at Alaka.
- “Kindly exercise patience or find an alternative if you are not trapped in the traffic.”
