At least eight people have been confirmed dead following a multiple-truck collision on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway near Kara Bridge, outward Lagos, on Thursday morning.
The tragic accident, which occurred around the Berger axis, involved several heavy-duty trucks.
Eyewitnesses said one of the vehicles plunged into the Kara River, while two others collided and burst into flames, triggering panic and a major traffic gridlock on the ever-busy highway.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Thursday at the accident scene.
“We have a case of multiple accident at the border between Ogun and Lagos State,” Ishola told journalists.
“Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident. As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies.”
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the accident was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.
“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he said.
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The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his men who was part of the police advance team responding to the incident.
“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors that came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” Ishola said.
He cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he blamed for most fatal road crashes.
“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, swiftly moved to the scene to restore order and coordinate emergency response efforts.
Television footage from TVC News showed thick black smoke rising from the wreckage as firefighters and rescue personnel battled to contain the blaze and recover victims.
Also confirming the incident in a statement via its official X handle, LASTMA said eight casualties were recorded in the crash.
“There’s a report of a multiple road crash involving a truck and a container-laden trailer that went up in flames. Another truck spilled its contents, cartons of biscuits, on the road, while a fourth vehicle, also a container-laden truck, ran into the barrier, causing its carrier to fall off the bridge into the river. Eight casualties have been confirmed,” the statement read.
The agency added that recovery operations were ongoing and urged motorists to exercise patience as efforts continued to clear the wreckage and reopen the affected lanes.
“Efforts are in top gear for the recovery and evacuation of the vehicles involved. There is a heavy traffic backlog on Ogunnusi Road and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. LASTMA officers and other emergency responders are on the ground managing the situation,” the statement added.
The collision caused severe traffic congestion across adjoining routes, with vehicular movement crawling from Berger through Ogunnusi Road and stretching further toward Mowe.
Emergency officials were still on site at press time to recover the fallen truck, evacuate burnt vehicles, and ensure the safe reopening of the highway to traffic.