A dead victim being put in an Ambulance by LASAMBUS

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Six people have been confirmed dead and 23 others injured in two separate vehicle accidents which occurred on Wednesday’s night and early this morning in Lagos.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA said the accidents occurred on Third Mainland Bridge and Alapere area of Ketu.

The first ghastly accident which claimed five lives with six other persons seriously injured, occurred on Third Mainland Bridge, inward Oworonshoki.

It involved a Mazda commercial bus with Reg. No. AKD 292 XL. It was gathered that the bus which was coming from Aja-Lekki en-route Oshodi rammed into a broken down MAN truck at about 10.24 pm on Wednesday at 3rd Mainland bridge inward Oworonshoki.

According to investigations conducted by LASEMA’s Emergency Response Team, ERT at the incident’s scene, the commercial bus rammed  into the  broken down truck while on top speed.

“Five victims, adult male were trapped and  the vehicle extricated by the Agency Emergency Response Team and their bodies recovered dead while six other victims, adult male were rescued alive with severe injuries and were taken to the Accident and Emergency Centre (Trauma Centre) and Gbagada General Hospital by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS.

“The dead bodies were also evacuated by the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU to Mainland Hospital Mortuary, except the commercial bus driver whose body was released at the request of the family members and friends through the intervention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police who was present at the scene of the accident,” said LASEMA General Manager, Michael Akindele.  Akindele said the truck which caused the accident was also set ablaze by angry mob who were upset that the truck was abandoned on the road.

He added that the Lagos State Fire Service were able to put out the fire, while the recovery of the accidented vehicle was carried out by officials of LASEMA,  Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA; Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC; Rapid Response Squad, RRS and the Nigeria Police Force.

Akindele said the angry mob also injured one of the LASEMA officials.

The second accident occurred at about 3.35 a.m on Thursday at Alapere, inward Toll Gate involving a Volkswagen commercial bus with 18 passengers, coming from Lagos Island en-route Mile 12.

According to Akindele, the bus somersaulted with 17 persons injured with various degrees of injuries and were taken to the Trauma Centre at Toll gate by LASEMA Emergency Response Team and LASAMBUS.

A female adult, identified as Iya Ewe died on the spot and the recovered body conveyed by SEHMU to the Mainland General Hospital.

Akindele commiserated with the families of the dead victims and also advised motorist, especially late night drivers to always take extreme caution while driving at night to avoid accidents that would lead to loss of live.

He also commended the quick intervention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and Commander of the RRS for their quick intervention and presence at the scene of the incident.