An oil tanker crashed into 10 vehicles, leaving three people dead and several others injured early Sunday morning in the Maryland area of Lagos.
The accident occurred when a diesel-laden tanker experienced brake failure and lost control, ramming into multiple vehicles.
Nosa Okunbor, the Head of the Public Affairs Unit at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday.
He said, “Upon the arrival of the LASEMA Response Teams at the scene of the incident at 0113hrs, the LRT encountered a multiple-vehicle accident involving an oil tanker, registration number unknown, fully laden with diesel. The tanker reportedly suffered a mechanical failure (brake failure) while in motion, lost control, and crashed into several cars, resulting in numerous casualties.”
Okunbor explained that another accident also occurred at the scene, involving a containerised truck that collided with a MACK truck. “The second accident involved an articulated truck, registration number unknown, carrying a fully loaded 40-foot container, which reportedly collided with a MACK truck, also unregistered, loaded with refill industrial bottles. The crash was attributed to reckless driving and speeding,” Okunbor stated.
“Sadly, three fatalities were reported in the multiple accidents, with the bodies removed before the LRTs arrived. An unspecified number of people were critically injured and had already been taken to various hospitals by the time the LRTs reached the scene,” he added.
The vehicles involved in the accidents included two Volkswagen Vanagon commercial buses, one Mitsubishi Space Bus, two mini-buses known as “Korope,” and one Honda car.
Okunbor further mentioned that emergency responders secured the area and put in place critical safety and traffic control measures, which led to the temporary closure of the road and bridge.
“Recovery efforts for the accident trucks and other vehicles began immediately upon the arrival of equipment at the scene. The two LASEMA Response Teams, along with other responders, worked tirelessly to recover all vehicles involved in the road accident and to alleviate the traffic gridlock caused by the incident,” he said.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency continues to urge drivers to maintain their vehicles and drive cautiously to prevent such tragic accidents.
