By Peter Dansu Tragedy struck on Ikorodu Road in Lagos on Sunday as a fatal road crash claimed the lives of an eight month old baby and an ...
By Peter Dansu
Tragedy struck on Ikorodu Road in Lagos on Sunday as a fatal road crash claimed the lives of an eight month old baby and an adult woman, leaving ten other passengers injured and rescued from twisted wreckage.
The accident occurred opposite Olabode House, between Anthony and Obanikoro, when a red long Tata commercial bus heading from Palmgroove towards Anthony reportedly lost mechanical and directional control while in motion.
According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, preliminary findings showed that the bus was travelling at a dangerously high speed before veering off its lane. In the process, it broke through the median barrier and crashed head on into a Volkswagen commercial bus moving from Anthony towards Palmgroove.
The impact was described as violent and devastating. An adult female passenger on board the Volkswagen bus died instantly, while an eight month old baby girl later succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. The heartbreaking loss of the infant and the woman threw the area into deep mourning and left bystanders in shock.
LASTMA operatives, working alongside members of the public, swiftly moved into action to rescue trapped victims. Ten passengers, including the drivers of both vehicles, were successfully extricated from the wreckage with varying degrees of serious injuries. Six of the injured were rescued from the Volkswagen bus, while four were pulled out of the Tata bus.
All injured victims were immediately taken to nearby hospitals by the Lagos State Ambulance Service for urgent medical attention.
Security at the scene was provided by officers from the Ilupeju Police Division, while officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit evacuated the bodies of the deceased.
Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare Oki, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and extended condolences to the families of the victims, particularly the mother of the deceased infant who survived the crash but sustained serious injuries. He described the accident as a painful reminder of the dangers on the road and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.
Bakare Oki also warned motorists, especially commercial drivers, against speeding and neglecting vehicle maintenance. He stressed the need for functional braking systems, proper vehicle checks and strict adherence to speed limits, noting that recklessness on the road remains a deadly threat with irreversible consequences.
He reaffirmed LASTMA’s commitment to traffic safety, emergency response and continuous public enlightenment to prevent such avoidable tragedies on Lagos roads.
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