Among the dead were a staff of Makasa Sun Nigeria Limited, a civil engineering construction firm, Odejayi Adebola, and a Ladipo Auto Spare Parts Market trader.
The accident occurred when the open-box bed of an empty truck moving from Mile 2 to Oshodi hit a concrete signpost, which fell on a commercial Coaster bus behind it loading passengers at the bus stop.
According to the Nation, the bus conductors’s legs were broken while the driver, however, was uninjured. Many of the passengers either dead or writhing in pains at the time of report. Some broke their limbs and one of them was said to have broken his spinal cord.
Information further mentioned that the truck was speeding when the accident happened around 8 am. The driver was also said to have been cautioned after Cele Bus stop to bring down the truck’s crane, but he refused. Hence, he has been arrested by Ilasamaja Police Station operatives.
Sympathisers at the venue of incidence claimed that help did not come on time for the victims. Traffic was at a stand still for about three hours after the crash because of the crowd that thronged the scene. The police, officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos Neighbourhood Corps (LNC) and Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), among others, were later at the scene to help.
An official of LNC was injured in the forehead while trying to disperse the crowd to facilitate rescue work.
LASAMBUS officials gave the injured first aid, including drip and oxygen for those in critical condition before moving two of the injured to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) at Ikeja after they had been rejected atMushin General Hospital at Oliyide Street.
“We do not have the specialists to handle these people. One had a fracture; another had a spinal cord injury. I advised that you take them to Igbobi (National Orthopaedic Hospital) because LUTH (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) will demand for money before commencing treatment,’’ the Mushin hospital management reportedly says.
A statement by LASEMA says “seven victims (four women and three men) with severe injuries were rescued and stabilised by the agency’s officials and LASAMBUS and were subsequently transferred to Mushin General Hospital for further treatment, while three men lost their lives.”
All efforts to get the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) to convey the dead to mortuary failed.
Pressure was mounted on LRU staff to open the road for motorists, but the agency declined, claiming: “we are waiting for SEHMU to take the corpse to the mortuary.”
The officials of Makasa Sun Nigeria Limited later came with a vehicle to take their colleague away and LASEMA General Manager Adesina Tiamiyu urged motorists to ensure they drive within the approved speed limit, and also watch out for road signs and other impediments to avoid fatal crashes.
Source- The Nation
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