Tears and confusion rented the air as a fully loaded truck veered off the very busy Toll Gate end of the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway killing and injuring many on Tuesday evening, Igberetvnews reports.
The tragic incident claimed the lives of many traders who sell their products and wares along the highway and also destroyed a lot of vehicles including commercial buses, motorcycles and private cars, Igberetvnews has learnt.
The actual figure of the casualties could not be ascertained as rescue efforts were on at the time of this report.
Igberetvnews learnt that the truck loaded with rods and coming from the Sango, Ogun state end of the highway, lost its brakes and meandered into the crowd of traders.
A witness at the scene of the accident told Igberetvnews that an old man who attempted to halt the vehicle by placing a wedge under it was the first casualty. He died in the process.
When our correspondent arrived the scene, rescue efforts by well-meaning individuals and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was ongoing while a commercial bus which was mangled had two victims still trapped inside.
A trader who revealed that she escaped death in the accident, said she had just decided to close for the day when the accident happened.
“I was pulled out from under the truck. I had closed for the day but I hesitated and just sat by my table. Suddenly, I heard screams but before I could lift my head, I was under the truck. I can’t even imagine how I successfully came out,” she said.
A bus conductor, who could not hide his emotion, explained that he was just telling the driver of the commercial bus he works with that he would be going home when suddenly the truck hit the vehicle flinging him out.
“The driver wanted us to go another trip and I was telling him I was tired and wanted to go home. Suddenly I heard a big bang on the bus and the impact flung me through the door,” he said.
Officials of the FRSC at the scene said they could not give details as they were still busy.
“Rescue efforts are still going on. Some casualties have been recorded while many other injured have been rushed to the general hospital for medical attention,” one of the officials said before jumping into the ambulance taking a batch of the victims for treatment.
This has been a repeated occurrence in the area with many calling on security agencies to help clear the illegal trading activities in the area and also see to the recklessness of drivers of commercial buses who park indiscriminately to pick passengers.
