IN Lagos states: - Five people comprising a baby, her mother, two brothers and a driver died
IN Cross River states: - four youths died in auto accidents on Tuesday night
Chat212 Incidents Watch - Investigates
It was a bloody Christmas celebration in Lagos .
Five people comprising a baby, her mother, two brothers and a driver died on Wednesday in the Lagos State accident.
In Lagos, our correspondent learnt that apart from the five people that perished on Christmas day, another lady suffered a fracture after a container which was on an articulated truck fell on a commercial bus on Alaba Suru Road in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun area of Lagos.
Chat212 Incidents Watch - Investigates
It was a bloody Christmas celebration in Lagos .
Five people comprising a baby, her mother, two brothers and a driver died on Wednesday in the Lagos State accident.
In Lagos, our correspondent learnt that apart from the five people that perished on Christmas day, another lady suffered a fracture after a container which was on an articulated truck fell on a commercial bus on Alaba Suru Road in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun area of Lagos.
Eyewitnesses said the baby, her mother, the two brothers and the bus driver, who were victims of the accident, were returning from the Lagos Island.
It was said the two brothers went to purchase bangers for the New Year celebration.
The crash was said to have been caused by a mentally unstable woman, who laid in the middle of the road, thereby creating confusion for the truck driver who was on top speed.
Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro that the yellow LT bus, with number plate, MUS-975-XC, had also stopped by the side of the road to drop off a passenger, which precipitated the accident.
A resident, Mohammed Wasiu, said, “The incident happened around 8.30am. I saw the mad woman walking around this morning. She just decided to sleep on the road at that time.
“The LT bus was going towards Mile 2. There were about eight people in the bus. The driver decided to stop because someone wanted to get down from the bus.
“As this was going on, the truck was coming on full speed. There were two trucks; one was already ahead, so the second truck driver wanted to catch up.
“When he got to that point and saw the mad woman on the road, he wanted to avoid crushing her. As he maneuvered the truck, its side hit the bus, and the container fell on the bus.”
Wasiu said residents immediately rushed to the scene and began to cut the vehicle with saws in order to save the occupants who were in pain.
Another eyewitness, who did not identify himself, said, “The two brothers who were at the back of the bus were trapped. They had packs of bangers that they just bought. The woman, who wore a shawl, and was carrying a baby, could not also escape. They all died, including the driver.
“It was only a lady that was at the entrance to the door that escaped with a fracture.”
After the accident, angry residents were said to have seized the mentally unstable lady and beaten her up. Some of the residents said it was the second time she would trigger such accident. She was, however, rescued by policemen.
At the rescue operation scene were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, policemen, and the Lagos State Emergency Medical Services.
The NEMA spokesperson, South-West Zone, Ibrahim Farinloye said, “The incident happened at 8.30am, but we were not alerted till around 11.46am. NEMA was able to mobilise other rescue officials to the scene. At the end of the rescue operation, a woman and her baby with two men died, while a lady was rescued alive. She however had a fractured leg. The corpses have been taken to a mortuary in Oshodi.”
The police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State, Ngozi Braide, said she would call back to give details on the accident.
