A multiple‑vehicle crash occurred on Thursday morning at Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, on the Lagos‑Ibadan Expressway. The collision involved five articulated trucks, including a container‑laden trailer, a truck carrying cartons of biscuits, and another that slammed into the bridge barrier and fell into the river.
The impact sparked a major fire and created severe gridlock stretching from Kara Bridge to Ogunnusi Road. According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the incident resulted in eight casualties.
Several independent reports confirm that at least eight people died, with eyewitnesses noting one truck plunged into the Kara River and two others burst into flames.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh, said a police inspector and a driver’s assistant were among the dead, and the number of confirmed fatalities ranges from four to eight across the coverage.
Emergency services moved quickly to the scene. LASTMA, the Nigeria Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps, and other agencies deployed tow trucks, a crane, ambulances and firefighters to contain the blaze, recover the damaged vehicles and clear the wreckage.
Thick black smoke was visible, and a high‑capacity tow truck and SEMA ambulance were on site, while a crane was expected to arrive to lift the trucks that fell into the river.*Paragraph 4*The tragedy highlights the ongoing danger on this heavily trafficked corridor.
Police Commissioner Jimoh blamed brake failure on one trailer and warned motorists, especially drivers of articulated vehicles, to maintain their brakes and avoid reckless driving.
Motorists are advised to use alternative routes as traffic remains congested, and authorities continue to urge better vehicle maintenance and safety compliance to prevent similar accidents.
