A devastating accident occurred on Tuesday night, claiming the lives of 10 people, including three children and seven adults, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Lagos State. 

The incident took place at the Abule Osun area, inward Iyana Iba, around 11 PM when a Toyota Sienna vehicle collided with a stationary truck.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the accident left three other persons critically injured. The injured were rescued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) before the LASEMA team arrived at the scene.

The Toyota Sienna, with registration number BDG 342 FS, was fully loaded with passengers reportedly traveling from the Eastern part of the country. Tragedy struck when the vehicle, traveling at high speed, rammed into a parked SHACMAN truck, which was carrying a load of granite and had taken up half of the road. The truck’s registration number was not immediately known.

“Upon arrival at the scene of the road traffic accident at Abule Osun, inward Iyana Iba, along Lagos-Badagry Expressway, it was discovered that a Toyota Sienna bus, registration number BDG 342 FS, laden to capacity with passengers, was involved in a road accident with a parked SHACMAN truck,” Oke-Osanyintolu explained.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the truck had been improperly parked, obstructing part of the carriageway. The Sienna vehicle, reportedly speeding, was unable to avoid the obstacle, leading to the catastrophic crash. 

The fatalities include three male adults, four female adults, two female children, and one male child. The exact identities of the deceased are yet to be disclosed, but their bodies will be transferred to the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit for proper handling.

The three survivors, who sustained severe injuries, are currently receiving medical attention. Authorities are continuing investigations into the incident to determine further details and hold any responsible parties accountable.