A ghastly accident occurred in Lagos on Wednesday morning when a yet-to-be-identified commercial bus driver died after his bus somersaulted following a collision with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle.
According to report, the incident occurred on the Ifako Bridge inward Ogudu on the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway in Lagos.
A witness said that the fully loaded commercial bus was coming from Lagos Island and heading to the Ojodu Berger area of the state when the accident occurred.
“On hearing of the death of the commercial driver, whose body was lying beside the upturned commercial bus, hoodlums in the area quickly set the BRT bus ablaze.
“This resulted in a gridlock that stretched to the Car Wash bus stop area between Gbagada and Oworonshoki,”It added that the Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, Adebayo Taofik, confirmed the accident.
He said LASTMA officers were on the ground controlling the building traffic to clear the road for easy movement for commuters.
An unnamed commercial bus driver was on Wednesday confirmed dead in an accident involving two yellow-coloured vehicles known as ‘danfo’ and a government-owned BRT bus.
The accident, which occurred around the Ogudu bridge, inward the Alapere area of Lagos State, grounded vehicular movement and caused snake-like gridlock along the ever-busy axis connecting the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The BRT bus went up in flames, compounding the traffic situation along the axis.
The Spokesman for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq in a telephone chat with Channels Television blamed the accident on over speeding by the buses.
“The accident involved a BRT bus and two commercial buses,” he said.
“One of the drivers of the commercial buses died on the spot. There are passengers with minor injuries.
He said though the rain compounded the gridlock on the axis but LASTMA officials have been deployed to the accident scene to manage the traffic.
Other first responders were also seen at the scene.
Also, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in statement, said, “Further Investigation revealed that the BRT Bus suddenly lost control them rammed into the commercial bus from behind causing the yellow commuter bus to upturn.
“Unfortunately an adult male (driver) of the bus lost his life to the incident while several others were injured but had been moved to the nearest hospital.
This prompted angry mobs to set the BRT Bus on fire .
“The Agency’s LRT are at the scene alongside Lagos state fire and rescue service , Nigeria Police Force and LASTMA.
“However the body had been bagged by the Agency’s LRT at the scene and handed over the police officer at the scene.
“The burnt carcass had been recovered with the aid of a private tow truck provided by LBSL (Lagos bus service limited) the road is now free for vehicular activities.”