At least six people, including a police officer, were on wednesday night, confirmed dead following a multiple-truck collision on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The fatal accident involved several articulated vehicles such as a fuel tanker, a container-laden truck, and another truck carrying cartons of biscuits.
Eyewitnesses reported that one of the victims was burnt beyond recognition, while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) reported that eight people were affected in total and shared disturbing footage of the crash scene, showing mangled vehicles and bodies along the expressway. The accident caused severe gridlock, leaving motorists stranded as emergency responders battled through the night to clear the wreckage.
According to eyewitnesses, one of the trucks reportedly lost control, crashed into the bridge barricade, and its head plunged into the river. Some occupants of the vehicle remain missing as of press time. In a tragic twist, a tow truck deployed to the scene was also hit during rescue operations.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olorundare Jimoh, who confirmed the incident, revealed that brake failure was suspected as the cause. “We lost a police inspector in the crash, and those responsible will be prosecuted,” he said, adding that three injured victims had been rushed to the hospital.
Officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other emergency agencies were on-site to manage the situation and ease the congestion that extended across both lanes of the highway. The gridlock forced impatient drivers to drive against traffic, worsening the chaos.
The crash also affected transport fares, as commercial drivers hiked prices between Berger and Oshodi from ₦1,000 to as high as ₦2,500.
The Kara Bridge tragedy occurred less than 24 hours after another truck accident on Otedola Bridge, raising renewed concerns over frequent road mishaps and poor vehicle maintenance on one of Nigeria’s busiest highways.
