One survivor, 9 Fatalities: LASEMA releases update on Ojuelegba truck disaster
The Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA) has provided an update on the container-laden truck that fell on top of a commercial vehicle in the Ojuelegba area of Surulere, Lagos, saying that it rescued one person alive while nine people died.
The tragic incident, the latest in the series of truck disasters at Ojuelegba, happened on Sunday, January 29, when a 20-foot truck fell on a commercial vehicle towards the tail end of the Ojuelegba bridge.
An eyewitness claimed that the truck had attempted to stop the commercial vehicle from overtaking him but fell when the driver turned sharply by the bend.
LASEMA, however, claimed that the bus was picking up passengers when the truck lost control and fell over the side of the bridge.
A statement by LASEMA’s director general, Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, obtained by Neusroom said: “After suspending the container load with the aid of the Agency’s forklift and cutting off the top of the bus with light rescue equipment, a single adult woman was extricated alive and taken to the trauma centre.”
Four men, three women and two children were found dead in the wreckage although their identities have not been made public yet.
According to LASEMA an investigation is being carried out by the police on the removal of the barriers on the bridge aimed at preventing trucks from ascending.
Incidents of falling vehicles from the top of the Ojuelegba bridge particularly trucks and trailers have become too common usually ending in fatalities. Twice in April 2022, two incidents occurred. On April 2, one person died after a 40-foot truck fell on a car. 17 days later on April 19, a similar situation happened.
In May 2019, a similar occurrence happened although fortunately, no lives were lost as the driver of a car was lucky that the truck fell close to the passenger side where no one was sitting. Many more tragic incidents have been recorded in the past and the patterns have been similar.
