At least four people, including a police officer, lost their lives in a tragic multiple-truck collision on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday night.
The accident, which involved four heavy-duty trucks, among them a fuel tanker and a container carrier, led to a devastating fire that claimed several lives and caused massive traffic congestion on the busy highway.
Eyewitnesses reported that one of the trucks suddenly lost control and rammed into the concrete barricade of the bridge.
The force of the impact tore off the truck’s head, sending it plunging into the river below.
Some of the victims were reportedly trapped in the wreckage, while one person was burned beyond recognition.
One of the deceased was identified as a police officer who was reportedly on duty escorting one of the vehicles involved.
Others who died included a driver’s assistant and two civilians.
Meanwhile, a motorboy and another occupant sustained severe injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
“The scene was horrifying,” said a witness who spoke to journalists at the site. “The fire was intense, and people were screaming for help before emergency responders arrived.”
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident in a post on its X handle, stating that eight casualties were recorded while recovery and evacuation efforts were ongoing.
“There was a multiple crash involving a truck and a container-laden trailer that caught fire.
“Another truck spilt cartons of biscuits across the road, while one plunged partially off the bridge into the river, blocking all lanes inward Mowe,” the agency said.
Traffic authorities and emergency responders worked late into the night to clear the wreckage and restore movement, but commuters were stranded for hours in the resulting gridlock.
As of Thursday morning, rescue teams were still searching the river for missing persons feared drowned following the crash.
This latest tragedy adds to the growing number of deadly accidents on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a route notorious for frequent crashes involving heavy-duty vehicles.