No fewer than nine passengers have been reportedly crushed to death as a 20ft laden container fell on a commercial bus in the Ojuelegba area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.
It was learnt 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 on Sunday.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) later said rescue and evacuation efforts were ongoing at the scene of the accident.
A Twitter user @PoojaMedia shared that the truck fell while trying to prevent a bus from overtaking it.
“Container just fell on a bus at Ojuelegba bridge. There are people inside the bus (full load) as health officials are giving them trip. We need emergency here to lift the container,” @PoojaMedia tweeted.
“Speaking to an eyewitness (a Uber driver), he said the trailer wanted to block the bus from overtaking him immediately he overtook the trailer as he saw everything through his side mirror. He went to turn at the roundabout to see the impact.”
However, the Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu who also confirmed the incident in a statement noted that an adult female was rescued alive.
This video shows the rescue team at work
“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.
“Final casualty count is 9 fatalities comprising, 4 adult males, 3 adult females,1 boy child and 1 girl child and 1 adult female rescued alive.
“The Agency’s heavy-duty Goliath and teams from Onipan and Cappa are on ground. The Agency’s Ambulance, LASG FIRE, FED FIRE, LASTMA and Nigeria Police have been working on this situation which is now concluded.
“Further investigation to be carried out by the Nigeria Police on the removal of the barriers on the bridge aimed at preventing trucks from ascending,” the statement said.
