Tragedy struck on Tuesday at Ijora Causeway, inward Ijora 7Up, Lagos, when a 40-foot container fell off a truck and landed on a commercial tricycle, killing a police officer and a female passenger.
The incident happened under the Ijora Bridge and involved a truck with registration number XP 368 AKD and a tricycle marked KJA 364 QN. Eyewitnesses said the truck driver lost control while making a risky manoeuvre, causing the container to tip over and crush the tricycle carrying four passengers.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), preliminary findings confirmed that “the articulated truck lost control while attempting a dangerous manoeuvre, fell, and landed on the tricycle.”
Two occupants a serving police officer and a female commuter died instantly. The tricycle operator and another passenger sustained serious leg injuries.
The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, LASTMA, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, said emergency responders, supported by LASAMBUS, police operatives and community volunteers, evacuated the survivors and rushed them to Jimsan Hospital, Gasikiya, Ijora.
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“The bodies of the victims were recovered,” Taofiq stated. He confirmed that the remains of the police officer were deposited at Yaba mortuary, while relatives of the female victim collected her body at the scene.
Security operatives from Badia, Trinity, and Kirikiri police divisions were also deployed to prevent angry residents from setting the truck ablaze during the rescue operation.
The accident has once again raised public concern over the safety of container-laden trucks on Lagos roads, especially their compliance with traffic regulations.
