Two people have been confirmed dead and four others are in a critical condition after a trailer rammed into six other vehicles in the Ojota area of Lagos State.
Among the dead were a hawker and a yet-to-be-identified male passenger.
According to Punch, the driver of the trailer lost control while heading towards China Town, Oworonshoki Expressway, and rammed into the vehicles.
Among the vehicles were two Mazda buses, a Sienna minibus, a Toyota Highlander, a Toyota Camry and a Honda car.
An official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the incident happened around 12 noon.
He said, “The truck, which was fully loaded with goods, was driving around the Abiola Garden and heading towards China Town when its brakes failed and the driver lost control. He hit six vehicles and the vehicles hit the median.
“Immediately it happened, six people were seriously injured and emergency officials took the casualties to the Accident and Emergency Centre around the Old Tollgate. The police assisted in controlling the crowd and cleared the road.
“It was around 4pm we got information that two of the casualties had died. Among them were a hawker and a passenger in one of the buses. The others had broken limbs and injuries of different degrees.”
But the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, said only three vehicles were involved in the accident, adding that nobody died.
He said, “Yes, I can confirm the accident. It happened around 12pm and our officers were on the ground to assist with the rescue of victims and the evacuation of the damaged vehicles.”
The Public Relations Officer of LASTMA, Mamud Hassan, appealed to motorists to exercise caution while driving.
He said, “Lagos motorists must be careful and avoid speeding to avert accidents like this. The year is coming to an end and LASTMA is increasing its efforts at reducing traffic accidents. We only hope Lagosians will give us the necessary support.”
