LASTMA rescues 5 injured passengers from accident scene

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued five injured passengers after a fully laden Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) tanker rammed into a commercial bus.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, in a statement on Friday in Lagos, by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, disclosed that the vehicular collision took place at Toyota Bus Stop, directly opposite the Guardian newspaper headquarters, inward Oshodi.

“The catastrophic incident, which unfolded amid the dense congestion of peak-hour traffic, involved a fully laden PMS tanker truck, registration number T28128LA, and a commercial Volkswagen T4 bus, bearing registration number GGE 526 YG.

“Preliminary findings by security operatives from Oloto Police Station revealed that the PMS-laden tanker, while speeding suffered a sudden brake failure.

“In a desperate bid to avert impending disaster, the driver lost all operational control, resulting in a collision with the moving, fully loaded commercial bus, an impact that left multiple occupants grievously injured,” he said.

He added that the collision inflicted severe injuries upon five individuals, two males, three females, including the bus driver — all of whom were rescued alive through the decisive and swift intervention of LASTMA operatives.

“Acting with commendable precision, the rescue team secured the accident scene, extracted the injured, and mitigated the risk of secondary hazards,” he said.

He said one critically injured passenger was conveyed to a nearby medical facility by a courageous Good Samaritan.

“Ambulances from the Lagos State Ambulance Service and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency’s Rescue Unit transported the remaining four victims for immediate medical treatment,” he said.

Bakare-Oki expressed profound sympathy to the victims and conveyed heartfelt wishes for their full and speedy recovery.

He issued an unequivocal admonition to operators of articulated and heavy-duty vehicles particularly tanker drivers to maintain their machinery in flawless mechanical condition, with meticulous emphasis on the integrity of braking systems, to prevent avoidable tragedies of this magnitude.

He condemned the brazen disregard for statutory speed limits, which are conspicuously signposted along Lagos highways, stressing that adherence could significantly reduce the severity of the calamity.

Bakare-Oki urged truck owners to institutionalise rigorous and continuous training and retraining programmes for their drivers, underscoring that the sanctity of human life must remain the paramount consideration in all road transport operations. (NAN)