No fewer than three persons sustained serious injuries as a trailer, with registration number ABG111XF, crashed into Ketu Pedestrian Bridge early hours of Friday, destroying the bridge’s columns.
While the injured persons were taken to a nearby hospital, the columns of the bridge were seriously damaged.
A 14-passenger Mazda commercial bus, registration number KJA 752 YD was crushed in the process, thereby blocking the entire length of the road inward Ojota.
The crash, it was gathered occurred due to the height of the ‘specialised’ container that was higher than the standard height led to the destruction and total collapse of the Pedestrian bridge.
Crashed columns of the Pedestrian Bridge, have been lifted off the road and debris evacuated as at the time of filing the report.
According to the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, no lives were lost, adding that the three adult male passengers in the commercial bus that sustained various degrees of injuries had been quickly ferried to an unnamed hospital nearby before the arrival of the LASEMA Response Team.
He said in a statement: “Following a distress call received today 8th December, 2023 at 00:52hrs through the agency’s 112/767 toll-free lines, LASEMA promptly activated the Lagos State Emergency Response Plan.
“The LRT from Alausa Command Control Centre and Cappa Base, Oshodi arrived at the incident scene at 01: 06hrs
“Upon the arrival of the agency’s response team at the incident scene, it was observed that a trailer with registration number ABG111XF, hooked to a low bed laden with a specialised container crashed into the Ketu Pedestrian Bridge in the high motion.
“The crash occurred due to the height of the ‘specialised’ container that was higher than the standard height led to the destruction and total collapse of the Pedestrian Bridge bridge.
He disclosed that responders from the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LRT and Nigerian Police made frantic efforts to evacuate the debris of the bridge off the road to restore normalcy.
“The commercial bus has been successfully recovered off the road. Crashed columns of the pedestrian Bridge have been lifted off the road, while the debris is still being evacuated.
“Operation is still ongoing with the continuous clearing of the leftover debris. The road has been partially opened for use while operation continues to remove all remnants,” the LASEMA boss said.
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