A fatal road accident on Ikorodu Road, Lagos State, has claimed the lives of an eight-month-old baby and an adult woman, while 10 other people were injured.
The crash happened on Sunday opposite Olabode House, between Anthony and Obanikoro, along the busy Ikorodu Road corridor.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority confirmed the incident in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, Adebayo Taofiq.
According to LASTMA, the accident involved a red long Tata commercial bus moving from Palmgroove towards Anthony and a Volkswagen commercial bus heading in the opposite direction.
“Preliminary findings indicate that a red long Tata commercial bus propelled at an excessive and perilous velocity from Palmgroove inward Anthony suddenly lost mechanical and directional control,” Taofiq said.
He explained that the bus went out of control, crossed the median and crashed into the oncoming Volkswagen bus.
“In a catastrophic sequence of events, the bus veered off its lane, violently breached the median barrier and careened into the opposing carriageway, where it forcefully collided with a moving Volkswagen commercial bus conveying passengers from Anthony toward Palmgroove,” he added.
LASTMA said the impact was severe and led to the immediate death of a female passenger in the Volkswagen bus, while an eight-month-old female infant later died from injuries sustained in the crash.
“The sheer violence of the impact resulted in the instantaneous death of an adult female passenger, while an eight-month-old female infant tragically succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision,” the statement read.
Emergency responders, including LASTMA officials and members of the public, rescued 10 victims from the wreckage.
“A total of ten victims, including the drivers of both vehicles, were successfully extricated from the mangled wreckage, all sustaining varying degrees of serious injuries,” Taofiq said.
He noted that six injured passengers were rescued from the Volkswagen bus, while four others were taken out of the Tata bus.
The injured victims were immediately taken to nearby hospitals by the Lagos State Ambulance Service for treatment.
Security operatives from the Ilupeju Police Division were deployed to the scene to maintain order, while officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit evacuated the bodies of the deceased.
Reacting to the tragedy, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, expressed sympathy to the families of the victims, especially the mother of the deceased infant, who survived the crash but sustained serious injuries.
“This is a moment of collective grief. Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased, and we pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he said.
Bakare-Oki urged motorists, particularly commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and ensure their vehicles are in good condition before taking to the road.
“Recklessness on the road remains a deadly menace with irreversible consequences,” he warned, while reaffirming LASTMA’s commitment to traffic safety, emergency response and public education across Lagos State.
