How multiple-truck crash sparked inferno on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, claimed eight lives

How multiple-truck crash sparked inferno on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, claimed eight lives

By Ade Ade

At least eight people were confirmed dead on Thursday following a multiple-truck collision on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near Kara Bridge, outward Lagos.

The crash, which occurred around the Berger axis, involved several heavy-duty trucks. One of the vehicles reportedly plunged into the Kara River, while two others collided and burst into flames, triggering a massive traffic gridlock along the busy corridor.

Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were deployed to the scene to restore order and coordinate emergency response. Footage aired by one of the TV stations showed thick smoke billowing from the wreckage as rescue teams battled to contain the situation.

Eight Casualties Confirmed

In a statement on its official X handle, LASTMA confirmed that eight people lost their lives in the incident.

“There’s a report of a multiple road crash where a truck and a container-laden trailer were in flames. Another truck spilled its contents (cartons of biscuits) on the road, while a container-laden truck ran onto the barrier, with its carrier falling off the bridge into the river, thereby blocking the entire road at Kara Bridge inward Mowe. Eight casualties recorded,” the agency said.

It added that recovery and evacuation operations were ongoing, with a backlog of traffic building along Ogunnusi Road and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Second Major Truck Accident in a Week

Thursday’s tragedy is the second major truck-related incident recorded in Lagos in one week. On Saturday, LASTMA operatives rescued a severely injured man after a six-tyre truck lost its brakes and plunged off the Oshodi Bridge into a terminal ditch while descending from Oshodi-Oke inward Mile 2.

The truck, marked AKD 135 YK, was reportedly loaded with toner printing materials when it suffered brake failure, veered off the carriageway and tumbled into the terminal below.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, had recently cautioned truck drivers to adhere strictly to safety standards and ensure proper vehicle maintenance to curb recurring crashes on Lagos roads.