At Least 40 Dead in Nigerian Horror Crash

The tragic accident happened on the evening of Sunday 15th August on a busy motorway ‘expressway’ between the cities of Lagos and Ibadan. It is understood that a lorry, which was loaded with sugar, crashed into dozens of vehicles waiting at a police checkpoint, and exploded into flames after its brakes failed to operate when driving down a slope.

The official number of people dead or injured as a result of the accident is yet to be confirmed, however the estimate has risen from 20 to at least 40 in the last few days, and it is understood that at least 20 vehicles were involved including 2 minibuses which were able to carry 18 people each. The sugar company who owned the vehicle causing the accident has also confirmed that the two employees in the vehicle have died. It has been reported that many of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition and identifying the bodies is likely to be a lengthy process which will only prolong the agony of the victims’ families.

In the chaos following the immediate aftermath of the accident, many commuters abandoned their vehicles in the road causing further traffic congestion which lasted for hours which hindered the rescue effort.

Mr. Fadipe Idowu, an official from the Lagos Fire Fighting Department, stated that nearly 20 passengers of a Toyota Urvan commercial mini bus, which the runaway truck smashed into, may have been killed and dozens of other people were injured. Mr Idowu said “We discovered that the vehicles had casualties inside, people were trapped. So with the assistance of the public we were able to rescue some of the victims out, although they sustained injuries, while some others were very unfortunate – they got trapped and were roasted.”

If you are injured in a road traffic accident it is important that you seek legal advice and instruct a firm of specialist personal injury solicitors, such as ourselves, who will give you comprehensive legal advice and take on your claim on a genuine no win no fee basis. We will recover compensation for your injuries as well as the financial losses you have sustained.

Five die in road accident in Gombe State

August 21st, 2010 in News, It is another bloody Saturday in Gombe as five people, including two female election monitors, were killed on a motor accident on Dukku-Gombe road in Gombe State, North East, where a senatorial by-election was being held.
The election observers who left Abuja are Binta Ali of the Voice of Women in Africa, and Rose Simon of Sim Joy Foundation. They died on the spot when their car had a head-on collision with another vehicle.
The women were heading to Dukku to monitor the Gombe North senatorial bye-election.
Others who lost their lives were Mr Adamu Malala, a staff of Dukku Local Government and Mohammad Ado and Umar Adamu, drivers of the two vehicles that collided.
Dr Aliyu Elnafaty, Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe, said that two persons also had severe injuries and were being treated.
The chief of staff of the Government House of Gombe, Babayo Gidado, was at the hospital to commiserate with the injured on behalf of government.