Container crushes police officer, another to death in Lagos

A police officer and a female passenger were, yesterday crushed to death in Lagos, when a 40-foot container-laden truck overturned on a commercial tricycle at Ijora Causeway, inward Ijora 7Up.

The incident, which occurred beneath the Ijora Bridge, involved a truck with registration number XP 368 AKD and a tricycle (popularly called Keke Napep) marked KJA 364 QN.

Confirming the accident, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, said preliminary findings showed that the articulated truck lost control while attempting a dangerous manoeuvre, fell, and landed on the tricycle conveying four passengers.

Two victims, a serving police officer and a female commuter, died instantly, while the tricycle operator and another passenger sustained injuries on both legs.

The Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment, LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, in a statement, yesterday, said emergency responders from the agency, assisted by the Lagos State Ambulance Service, LASAMBUS, police operatives and others, pulled out the survivors and rushed them to Jimsan Hospital, Gasikiya, Ijora.

The remains of the police officer were taken to the Yaba mortuary, while relatives of the female victim retrieved her body at the scene.

Taofiq added that security operatives from Badia, Trinity and Kirikiri divisions prevented angry residents from setting the truck ablaze during the rescue operation.