On a day marked by celebration, tragedy struck as two adults plunged into the Lagos lagoon following a vehicular accident on the Third Mainland Bridge.
The accident, which occurred around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, was due to a brake failure on a commercial vehicle.
Olatunde Akinsanya, the Director of Operations at the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), provided a detailed account of the incident. “Today at 10 minutes after 11, we had a road accident very close to Adeniji Bypass. An LT commercial bus with 22 passengers had a brake failure and it was on a high speed. In the process, it ran into the barrier on the Third Mainland Bridge and of course, two adults were plunged into the lagoon,” he said.
Search and rescue operations are currently underway on the Third Mainland Bridge, led by marine police.
Other passengers involved in the accident have been taken to the General Hospital, Lagos Island for treatment. Road safety officials were promptly on the scene of the accident to ensure the free flow of traffic.
The accident scene drew a crowd of other road users who gathered to render help to the victims. Rescue officials, security agents, as well as traffic management officers were also present for rescue operations.
The Third Mainland Bridge, which was reopened by the Federal Government on the 4th of April following extensive repairs over a period of five months, has a set speed limit of 80 km/hr.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of adhering to traffic rules and regulations for the safety of all road users.
Akinsanya further added, “The next phase of the operation is that having recovered the wreckage and the victims taken to the nearby hospital for treatment, the next action is the search and rescue operations on the waterway, and that is what we are collaborating with marine police, NEMA, and others.”
As the city marks the end of Ramadan with the celebration of Eid-El-Fitr, this unfortunate incident casts a somber shadow over the festivities
