A devastating multiple-vehicle crash on the Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has claimed at least eight lives, including a police inspector, leaving commuters stranded amid severe gridlock. The incident, which unfolded late Wednesday night into Thursday morning, involved five articulated trucks, one of which was a fuel tanker.
Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene where one truck veered off the road, crashed into the bridge barricade, severed on impact, and plunged into the Kara River below. Two other vehicles collided and burst into flames, while a fourth spilled cartons of biscuits across the highway, exacerbating the blockage inward Mowe.
Preliminary investigations by the Lagos State Police Command point to brake failure on one of the trailers as the primary cause, a recurring issue on Nigeria’s busy highways.
Commissioner Olanrewaju Ishola, who visited the scene early Thursday, confirmed the tragedy struck the police advance team responding to the initial call.
”It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” Ishola stated, vowing to prosecute those responsible for vehicle maintenance lapses.
Rescue operations, involving the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and LASTMA, have been underway since 5 a.m., with three injured individuals evacuated to nearby hospitals.
The crash has triggered a massive traffic backlog stretching from Kara Bridge to Ogunnusi Road and the Berger axis, forcing some motorists to drive against traffic on the Lagos-bound lane.
Commercial drivers exploited the chaos, hiking fares on routes like Berger-Oshodi from ₦1,000-1,200 to ₦2,000-2,500, stranding scores of workers and students. A towing van dispatched to separate the wreckage was also struck, complicating efforts.
LASTMA urged alternative routes, noting the fire outbreak from the fuel tanker posed additional risks.
This accident comes less than 24 hours after a separate truck plunge on the Otedola Bridge, highlighting Nigeria’s persistent road safety crisis driven by poor vehicle upkeep and reckless driving.
Ishola warned articulated vehicle operators: “If they are not reckless in their driving habits, we won’t have this kind of accident.”
As evacuation continues, authorities emphasize stricter enforcement, calling for mandatory brake checks and driver training to avert future disasters on this vital corridor.
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