The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed that six individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries after a commercial bus was ravaged by fire opposite the UNILAG waterfront, inward Iyana Oworo, on the Third Mainland Bridge.In a Monday update signed by Adebayo Taofiq, the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, initial findings indicate that the fully-laden commercial bus, transporting passengers and household materials, reportedly experienced a sudden mechanical failure while in transit.
The statement reads, “This mechanical malfunction precipitated a loss of vehicular control, culminating in the bus capsizing onto its flank. The calamitous incident resulted in six passengers, comprising two adult males and four adult females sustaining serious bodily injuries, while one passenger suffered a critical ocular injury at the instant of impact.
“Personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), who were actively deployed on routine surveillance duties within the affected corridor, responded with exemplary promptitude and operational efficiency. Through a well-coordinated emergency response, all six critically injured victims were successfully extricated from the wreckage.”
The statement added that, “Demonstrating commendable civic responsibility, well-meaning Good Samaritans swiftly transported four of the injured passengers to an undisclosed medical facility for urgent treatment. In parallel, Officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Adekunle Division, rendered crucial assistance by conveying one male victim who sustained multiple fractures to a hospital for intensive medical care.
“Additionally, operatives of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) administered immediate on-site medical attention to another injured passenger at the scene of the incident.
“In order to avert secondary accidents and promptly reinstate vehicular flow, LASTMA officials ensured the immediate removal and evacuation of the accident vehicle from the carriageway.”
According to the statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa extended profound sympathies to the injured passengers and their families, wishing them a speedy and full recuperation.
He further issued a firm caution to the motoring public particularly commercial transport operators to desist from the practice of vehicle overloading and to prioritise regular mechanical assessments, with specific emphasis on braking systems before embarking on journeys within or beyond the State.
Giwa reaffirmed the Lagos State Government’s resolute commitment to the preservation of lives and property across its road networks, underscoring that acts of avoidable negligence and mechanical irresponsibility will continue to attract stringent regulatory sanctions.
