Mother, child die as two container trucks overturn in Lagos

A mother and her child have died after two container-laden trucks overturned at Mile 2, near Freeman Market, inward Apapa, Lagos.

Vanguard newspaper reported on Sunday that the victims were trapped beneath the trucks and their containers in the accident, which occurred over the weekend.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said its rescue team evacuated the victims and cleared the wreckage. Traffic was diverted through an adjoining service lane while a crane and a heavy-duty tow vehicle were used to remove the overturned trucks and containers. Police officers secured the scene during the operation.

The victims’ remains were taken to the police mortuary in Yaba.

LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, called for an investigation to determine the cause of the crash, including whether mechanical faults, overloading, improper cargo distribution or driver negligence played a role.

He urged truck operators to ensure their vehicles were roadworthy and their loads properly secured.

The accident comes weeks after another crash involving two trucks, a commercial bus and nine motorcycles at First Gate, inward Mile 2, along the Mile 2-Seme Expressway, left four people critically injured.

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The 6 October crash involved two Mack trucks, one carrying a 20-foot container. LASTMA said preliminary findings suggested that one of the trucks might have suffered brake failure, causing the driver to lose control and collide with the other vehicles.

The injured victims, three men and a woman, sustained multiple fractures to their arms and legs and were taken to hospital for treatment.

LASTMA said the drivers involved in that crash were handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.