An 8months old baby and a woman have been confirmed dead and 10 passengers dustained varying degrees of injuries after an auto crash along Ikorodu road in Lagos State.
As gathered, the accident which occurred precisely opposite Olabode House before Obanikoro bus stop was attributed to mechanical fault along the road.
The LASTMA’s General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who confirmed the accident, narrated that the bus veered off its lane collided with a Volkswagen commercial bus conveying passengers from Anthony towards Palmgroove.
He said: “The sheer violence of the impact resulted in the instantaneous death of an adult female passenger aboard the Volkswagen bus, while an eight-month-old female infant tragically succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision. The untimely and heartrending loss of such tender and innocent lives has plunged the entire corridor and indeed the wider community into profound mourning.
“A total of 10 victims, including the drivers of both vehicles were successfully extricated from the mangled wreckage, all sustaining varying degrees of serious injuries. Of this number, six trapped passengers were rescued from the Volkswagen commercial bus, while four others were evacuated from the red Tata bus.
“The Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) promptly transported the injured victims to nearby medical facilities for immediate and comprehensive medical attention, while officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) respectfully recovered and evacuated the remains of the deceased infant and adult female. Security operatives from the Ilupeju Police Division provided indispensable security coverage throughout the duration of the rescue and recovery exercise”.
Bakare-Oki, meanwhile, warned that motorists especially commercial drivers to exhibit utmost restraint, heightened vigilance and unwavering compliance with stipulated speed limits.
In a statement by the LASTMA’s Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Adebayo Taofiq, the agency boss emphasized the non-negotiable necessity of routine vehicle roadworthiness assessments, particularly of braking systems, prior to embarking on any journey within or beyond Lagos State, cautioning that recklessness on the road remains a deadly menace with irreversible and devastating consequences.
The General Manager concluded by praying that Almighty God, in His infinite mercy, grants fortitude to the bereaved families, restores health to the injured and forestalls the recurrence of such tragic incidents on Lagos roads.
LASTMA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the preservation of lives through proactive traffic management, rapid emergency response and sustained public enlightenment, while urging all road users to uphold safety as an inviolable priority.
