Two die, others injured in Lagos multiple accidents

Scenes of a multiple accident on the Otedola bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos... on Sunday.

An unidentified woman and a pregnant lady were said to have died in the multiple accidents which occurred close to Otedola Bridge, along the Alausa area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Saturday.

A large number of people were also said to have sustained injuries in the accidents.

The accidents, which happened about three times, were as a result of a series of multiple collisions involving over 25 vehicles.

The first accident was said to have been caused by an NNPC tanker with number plate, XG 321 MKA.

The tanker was allegedly on top speed and had a brake failure.

It rammed into the vehicle in front. Eyewitnesses said the development led to further collisions as other vehicles, which had slowed down because of the traffic snarl on the expressway, ran into one another due to the impact of the tanker.

The driver was said to have also throw smaller vehicles off its way.

The collisions led to two cargo trucks being pushed off the road, while the advancing NNPC tanker dragged a Toyota Camry along until it was stopped by the two cargo vehicles, one of which had fallen.

When our correspondent visited the scene on Sunday, part of the bonnet of the Camry car was trapped under one of the cargo vehicles.

Shortly after the first accident, a saloon car which was waiting for the occupants to catch a glimpse of the accident scene was also said to have been hit by another vehicle from behind.

This also led to further collisions. A woman in the saloon car was said to have died instantly while others in the car, including two children sustained minor injuries.

An eyewitness, Mr. Amos Ogah, who was in one the cargo vehicles that was involved in the first accident, said, “We were from Victoria Island going to Calabar when we met a holdup here. We were moving slowly when the NNPC tanker suddenly hit some vehicles behind us.

“I was looking at the tanker through the mirror and I could see that the driver had lost control.

“After the accident, a Toyota Hiace bus and a salon car which were waiting for their occupants to have a look at the scene of the accident were hit by another jeep. This also led to further collisions.”

According to Ogah, more than 10 vehicles were involved in the collisions.

Some hours later, a speeding truck belonging to Seven-Up Bottling Company also rammed into vehicles in the gridlock which had extended far behind the first accident scene.

More than 15 vehicles which were affected skidded off the road and stopped about some feet away from a ditch along the expressway.

At the scene of the third accident, which was about 100meters away from the scene of the earlier ones, were nine vehicles, including the Seven-Up truck and a Toyota Hiace.

A victim, Mrs. Kunbi Tuaklilawson, who escaped the third accident unhurt, but with her Lexus jeep badly damaged, said she was held up in the traffic jam till around 10pm when she suddenly heard a big bang behind her.

Tuaklilawson, whose vehicle had number plate, AGL 567 AM, said, “I was driving from Surulere and we were in the hold up when the accident happened.

“We suddenly heard a big bang from behind. We discovered that it was the Seven-Up vehicle, which was on top speed, was the one which ran into the vehicles behind us. All of a sudden several other bangs followed and before we knew it, we were being pushed off the road.”

The driver of the Hiace bus, Mr. Solomon Okemuyiwa, said apart from him, three other persons in the bus  sustained injuries.

He said the bus belonged to Radisson Blue Company and the persons in the bus were workers of the company.

He said, “I got to the scene of the accident around 10.35pm. We were in the holdup when we were suddenly hit by the Seven-Up truck. Our bus tumbled.”

A policeman from Isheri Police Station, who simply identified himself as Adewale, said the Seven-Up vehicle might have had brake failure.

Adewale, who was in mufti, said his station in Isheri became aware of the first accident around 8pm on Saturday and was at the scene along with other policemen and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority when the other accidents happened.

He said,”We were told about the accident about 8pm. We were rescuing victims and evacuating some of the affected vehicles when the other accidents happened.”

A text message from the Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Idowu Fadipe, said, “The muliple accidents claimed two lives; a pregnant lady and one other lady. Several people were injured and were taken to the hospital.”