An eight-month-old infant and an adult woman lost their lives in a traffic accident on Ikorodu Road yesterday, opposite Olabode House in the Anthony area of Lagos.
Reports revealed that a red Tata commercial bus, allegedly travelling at high speed from Palmgrove towards Anthony, suddenly lost control, swerved from its lane and crashed into the opposite carriageway, where it rammed into a Volkswagen commercial bus transporting passengers from Anthony to Palmgrove.
The collision claimed the life of an adult female passenger in the Volkswagen bus, while an eight-month-old baby girl later died from injuries sustained during the impact.
Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), with assistance from bystanders, promptly arrived at the scene to rescue victims. In all, 10 persons, including both drivers, were successfully pulled out from the wreckage, each suffering varying degrees of severe injuries.
Six passengers were rescued from the Volkswagen bus, while four others were evacuated from the red Tata vehicle.
To prevent further accidents and protect other road users, LASTMA officials secured and cordoned off the accident scene, removed the damaged vehicles from the expressway and restored traffic movement along Ikorodu Road’s main carriageway.
The Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) conveyed the injured victims to nearby hospitals for urgent and comprehensive medical care, while officers of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) recovered and evacuated the bodies of the deceased infant and adult woman. Security personnel from the Ilupeju Police Division maintained security throughout the rescue and recovery operations.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, sympathised with the affected families, extending special compassion to the grieving mother of the infant, who also sustained critical injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
He described the tragedy as a shared moment of sorrow for parents and all people of conscience, offering prayers for divine comfort for the bereaved and speedy recovery for the 10 injured victims.
Bakare-Oki cautioned motorists, particularly commercial drivers, to exercise restraint, remain vigilant and strictly adhere to prescribed speed limits.
He stressed the non-negotiable importance of routine vehicle roadworthiness checks, especially braking systems, before commencing any journey within or outside Lagos State, warning that road recklessness remains a deadly threat with irreversible consequences.
“LASTMA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the preservation of lives through proactive traffic management, rapid emergency response and sustained public enlightenment, while urging all road users to uphold safety as an inviolable priority,” he said.
