Four killed as container truck crushes bus on Lagos bridge

Four people died and six others were injured in the early hours of Wednesday when a container-laden articulated truck overturned onto a passenger bus on Berger Bridge, inward Eleko, along the Ibeju-Lekki Expressway in Lagos State.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the tragedy in a statement. He said the accident involved an articulated truck conveying a 20-foot container and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number GME-589 ZU.

Preliminary investigations showed that the truck was ascending the bridge at excessive speed when it collided with the bus. In an attempt to avoid the impact, the truck driver lost control, causing the vehicle and its container to overturn onto the bus.

“The impact was severe and tragically resulted in the loss of four adult males who were confirmed dead at the scene, while six other adult males sustained varying degrees of injuries,” Oke-Osanyintolu stated.

LASEMA responders, working with the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force, secured the scene, administered first aid to the injured and evacuated them to Epe General Hospital for treatment. A private crane was mobilised to recover the overturned truck and container and to facilitate the safe removal of the bodies. Recovery operations continued as traffic management measures were put in place along the corridor.

The Lagos State Government expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The fatal crash was one of three truck-related incidents LASEMA handled on Wednesday.

Shortly after 4 a.m., the agency’s Tiger Team from C3 Base responded to another accident near Vetland School, inward Agege Pen Cinema, along Old Abeokuta Road. A truck with registration number KTU-940XT rammed into a solar-powered streetlight pole before mounting the road median and obstructing traffic.

Preliminary findings attributed the incident to reckless driving. No casualty was recorded. The truck was recovered with LASEMA’s heavy-duty equipment, Elephant, and taken to Abattoir Police Station while the road was cleared and reopened.

In a third incident, LASEMA’s Beta Team from Igando Base responded to a collision at Lanre Bus Stop, inward Igando, along LASU-Igando Road. A DAF truck (SMK 795 XY) travelling against traffic collided with a Toyota Corolla (AKD 169 EA) after a broken-down truck on the opposite side had caused congestion. The Corolla driver sustained a minor head injury and was taken to Igando General Hospital. The Corolla was towed to Igando Police Station, while LASEMA deployed its Super Metro recovery equipment to move the DAF truck to a lay-by. No death was recorded.

The string of accidents comes days after a mother and her child were killed when two container trucks overturned near Freeman Market at Mile 2, inward Apapa, trapping the victims beneath the vehicles and their loads.

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Oke-Osanyintolu urged motorists to observe speed limits, avoid driving against traffic and reckless manoeuvres, and ensure their vehicles are mechanically sound before embarking on journeys. He also advised residents to report emergencies through the state’s toll-free lines, 767 and 112.

The growing frequency of container truck accidents on Lagos roads has heightened concerns about overspeeding, poor vehicle maintenance and the challenges of navigating the city’s bridges and corridors, particularly in the expanding Lekki-Epe axis.