Shola Akinyele
Kara Bridge, a notorious hotspot on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, has once again become the scene of a devastating tragedy after a multi-truck collision involving six loaded vehicles, including a fuel tanker, claimed at least eight lives, leaving several others injured and sparking massive gridlock across the busy highway.
According to eyewitnesses, the fatal accident occurred around 4 a.m., when the first truck reportedly hit a pedestrian and attempted to flee the scene. In the process, it lost control on Kara Bridge, crashing through the barriers and plunging its detached head into the canal inward Mowe.
As emergency responders arrived to tow the wreckage, tragedy struck again — another speeding truck rammed into the recovery operation, colliding with both the tow truck and the first vehicle. The impact triggered a chain reactions involving other trucks, some carrying biscuits and Titus sardines, whose contents spilled across the road.
Moments later, a fire erupted, engulfing multiple vehicles in flames.
“Four occupants — drivers and motor boys — were burnt beyond recognition,” an eyewitness recounted.
“One of the victims was a police inspector escorting one of the trucks.”
The inferno raged for several minutes before firefighters and rescue teams managed to contain it. The incident resulted in eight confirmed deaths, including the police inspector, while six others sustained critical injuries. Authorities warned that the casualty count could still rise as search and evacuation efforts continue.
The crash caused a major traffic lockdown stretching from Ogunnusi Road through the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, disrupting early-morning commuters and cargo movement.
Officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) are currently at the scene coordinating rescue operations and removing the wreckage to restore traffic flow.
Multiple sources, including eyewitnesses and local responders, have corroborated the sequence of events, confirming that the accident was one of the deadliest recorded on Kara Bridge this year.
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