By Atoyebi Nike
At least six people, including a police officer, lost their lives on Wednesday night in a fiery multiple-truck collision on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The crash, which occurred around 11 p.m., involved five vehicles, including a fuel tanker and a container-laden trailer, which burst into flames after impact.
Eyewitnesses said one of the trucks plunged into the river below the bridge, while another spilled cartons of biscuits across the highway, causing chaos and complete traffic paralysis. “The head of the truck was severed and plunged into the river,” one witness recounted.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the incident on its X handle, reporting eight casualties and massive gridlock extending to Ogunnusi Road. Emergency responders from the FRSC, police, and other agencies were deployed to the scene for rescue and recovery operations.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olorundare Jimoh, said preliminary investigations point to brake failure as the cause of the crash. “We lost a police inspector. Those responsible will be prosecuted,” he said.
The crash caused severe traffic disruption, with motorists stranded for hours and transport fares doubling along major routes. It occurred less than 24 hours after another truck accident on the Otedola Bridge, raising renewed concerns over the frequency of truck-related tragedies on Lagos highways.
