Two 20-foot containers fell onto the roadway on Wednesday after a Mack articulated truck overturned along the Otedola Bridge corridor in Lagos, prompting emergency response by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to restore traffic flow.
The agency said the incident occurred after the truck, which was conveying the containers, suffered a battery-related failure while in transit, leading to an attempted recovery effort that eventually went wrong.
Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment of LASTMA, Taofiq Adebayo, explained that the situation escalated during an unprofessional private attempt to remove the immobilised vehicle from the roadway.
“The Authority confirmed that the articulated truck developed a battery-related mechanical fault while moving along the Otedola Bridge corridor,” Adebayo said.
“Unfortunately, during an attempted private recovery operation to evacuate the broken-down vehicle, the truck overturned, causing the two 20-foot containers to dislodge and spill onto the carriageway, thereby obstructing a significant portion of the road.”
Despite the dramatic nature of the incident, LASTMA officials said no lives were lost.
“On-site assessments conducted by our operatives confirmed that no casualty was recorded,” Adebayo stated.
“The situation was swiftly brought under control through the prompt intervention of LASTMA personnel working in collaboration with other emergency response agencies.”
According to him, the agency’s Rescue and Recovery Team was immediately deployed to the scene following a distress notification.
“Upon receiving the emergency alert, the LASTMA Rescue and Recovery Team mobilised to the location and worked closely with operational officers from LASTMA Zone 2 Command to institute a comprehensive traffic control arrangement,” he said.
“This intervention was specifically designed to safeguard motorists, prevent further incidents and maintain order around the affected corridor.”
To enable recovery operations, authorities temporarily shut down part of the expressway while specialised equipment was brought in.
“In order to facilitate the expeditious clearance of the obstruction, the Authority temporarily closed the main carriageway inward Lagos,” Adebayo explained.
“A high-capacity tow truck was deployed to the scene, while a heavy-duty crane was engaged to undertake the technical lifting and repositioning of the fallen containers.”
The accident triggered significant traffic congestion within the axis, stretching beyond the Kara Bridge area.
“The incident temporarily triggered a traffic backlog extending beyond Kara Bridge as approaching motorists encountered heavy congestion within the affected corridor,” he noted.
However, Adebayo said LASTMA officers worked tirelessly to minimise disruption to road users.
“Our personnel remained fully engaged in traffic diversion, vehicular regulation and crowd management throughout the operation,” he said.
“These coordinated efforts helped mitigate congestion and gradually restore order to vehicular movement within the axis.”
Following the successful recovery of the overturned truck and removal of the containers, traffic movement resumed gradually along the route.
“After the completion of the recovery operation, normal traffic flow was progressively restored as the main carriageway was reopened to motorists,” Adebayo said.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, also reinforced the emergency response by deploying additional personnel to the accident scene to support ongoing operations.
Adebayo said the intervention underscores the agency’s dedication to road safety and efficient traffic management across the state.
“The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority remains unwavering in its commitment to the protection of lives, the preservation of critical road infrastructure and the sustained facilitation of safe and seamless mobility across Lagos road networks,” he stated.
He further urged motorists and truck operators to adhere strictly to safety procedures, particularly when dealing with broken-down heavy-duty vehicles on major highways.
“Operators of articulated vehicles are strongly advised to ensure that only professional and properly coordinated recovery procedures are undertaken whenever mechanical faults occur on major road corridors,” Adebayo added.
“Such precautionary measures are essential in preventing avoidable incidents that could endanger lives and disrupt traffic flow across the metropolis.”
