One dead, four injured in third mainland bridge crash

One adult female has died while four other passengers sustained serious injuries in a head-on collision involving two Toyota Sienna buses on the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, on Tuesday. The crash occurred near Iyana-Iworo in the early hours of the day. Head of Public Affairs of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr Olawale Afolabi, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria. Afolabi said the two vehicles involved were fully loaded commercial buses. He added that the injured victims were immediately evacuated to a nearby trauma centre for urgent medical attention. “Preliminary investigations revealed that reckless driving by another Toyota Sienna triggered the crash, resulting in a head-on collision between the two vehicles,” he said. He explained that LASEMA’s Tiger Squad from the C3 Command was activated at about 7:26 a.m. and arrived at the scene around 8:00 a.m. to coordinate rescue and recovery operations. According to him, LASEMA personnel worked alongside officers of the police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority to secure the scene, manage traffic, and clear the wreckage. The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, described the crash as preventable and urged motorists to strictly adhere to traffic regulations. He warned against excessive speeding, dangerous overtaking, and poor lane discipline, stressing the need for caution on major highways and cooperation with traffic managers. NAN