On Wednesday, a tragic accident occurred on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, Nigeria. According to the Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, the accident left two passengers, a male and a female, who were on an 18-seater bus, thrown into the Lagos lagoon.
The accident happened when the bus driver, who was reportedly speeding, swerved off the road and hit the bridge's railings.
The impact of the collision pushed the two passengers off the bus and into the lagoon. Farinloye stated that the male passenger was seen floating three times before he drowned, while the female passenger did not surface at all.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed that the remaining 18 passengers in the bus were seriously injured and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) also corroborated the NEMA official's account, stating that the accident seemed to have occurred due to the driver's speeding.
Emergency response agencies, including the marine police, LASEMA, FRSC, and NEMA, were immediately dispatched to the scene to assist in the rescue and recovery operations. However, Farinloye noted that the hope of rescuing the two passengers had become slim, and the focus had shifted to recovery efforts.
The accident occurred on the day Muslims were celebrating Eid-el-Fitr, just days after the Third Mainland Bridge was fully reopened to traffic following extensive repairs. The FRSC had previously warned motorists to adhere to the 80km per hour speed limit on the bridge to prevent such incidents.
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