An articulated truck carrying a 20-foot container yesterday fell on a commercial bus at Ojuelegba, Lagos crushing nine persons to death.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the truck lost control while ascending a bridge.
“Upon arrival at the scene, a truck conveying a 20ft container was found to have landed on top of a commercial bus. Investigation revealed that the bus was picking passengers when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge.
“A total of nine fatalities were recovered, comprising four adult males, three adult females, a girl, and a boy. After suspending the container load with the aid of LASEMA’s forklift, an adult woman was extricated alive and taken to the trauma centre,’’ he said.
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Oke-Osanyintolu said LASEMA’s heavy-duty ambulance and Lagos State Fire Service were on hand for the rescue operation, just as LASTMA and the Nigeria Police were on ground to control traffic.
Meanwhile, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu has expressed deep concerns over the fatal crashes that occurred yesterday on Ojuelegba Bridge, Lagos State, and the crash that claimed 11 lives at Soka bridge on Lagos-Benin Highway.
While his concerns stemmed from the reoccurring container crashes on Ojuelegba bridge that has claimed several lives, the Corps Marshal recommended the construction of barricades against articulated vehicles (Tankers, Trucks, Trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles) on Ojuelegba Bridge as a permanent solution to the reoccurring crashes.
On Soka Bridge (Lagos-Benin Expressway), he cautioned commuters against route violation (popularly referred to in the local parlance as ‘One Way’) as well as driving against prescribed legal speed limits on all roads.
A press release by the corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, an Assistant Corps Marshal, in Abua yesterday, preliminary investigations into the crashes, showed that the Ojuelegba crash involved a Mack Truck with a 40ft container with the registration number KJA 380 KD, which apart from engaging in excessive speed, also indulged in an act of wrongful overtaking and a Suzuki mini bus registered as KTU 921 YD; while the SOKA avoidable menace involved a Truck driven against traffic and a Macopolo Bus.
The statement read: “The container mounted on the Mack Truck at Ojuelegba, according to our operatives, fell off the truck and landed on the Suzuki minibus filled up with passengers which obviously led to the death of 9 of the passengers.
“As at the time of this statement, 11 victims were burnt beyond recognition at the SOKA Bridge while the Ojuelegba crash involved 13 people, comprising 9 males and 4 females. Out of the 13 people, 9 were killed: 5 Male adults, 1 male child, 1 female child and 2 female adults.
“Out of the 4 victims who survived the Ojuelegba crash, 2 were rescued without injuries while the remaining 2 sustained various degrees of injuries.
The Corps Marshal who frowned at the incident explained the importance of barricading the bridge against articulated vehicles citing some of the dangers that come with their continuous use of the bridge as he calls for efforts to be made towards expanding the connecting roads under the bridge to accommodate all articulated vehicles.”
He revealed that FRSC rescue teams in collaboration with other Emergency Management Agencies have cleared obstructions from the crash scenes for ease of movement while the driver of the Mack Truck has been arrested and handed over to the Police for further investigation and possible prosecution; also, efforts are in top gear to arrest the driver that caused the SOKA bridge crash.
The statement said the Corps Marshal reiterated the need for the enactment of laws that would bring justice to victims of crashes and where such laws already exist, efforts should be made to activate them so that justice would be served accordingly to both the drivers and the victims.
It said the FRSC boss admonished the public to always patronise the FRSC toll free line 122 and the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM which are always available for all road users to report emergencies at any given time.
