In a heart-wrenching incident that unfolded on the newly refurbished Third Mainland Bridge, tragedy struck on Wednesday as a vehicle careened off the bridge’s edge and into the murky waters of the Lagos lagoon.
The distressing event, which occurred amidst Eid-el-fitri celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, has left an unspecified number of individuals feared dead.
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Eyewitness accounts, such as that of Akinola Adeniyi, who was present at the scene, painted a grim picture of events. Adeniyi described the calamity as unfolding around 11:30 am when a vehicle, its destination unknown, suddenly veered off course along the Iyana-Oworo to Island route, plummeting into the lagoon below.
Watch the video of the scene.
He attributed the cause of the accident to reckless speeding on the part of the driver, whose identity remains unknown.
Responding swiftly to the distress call, a collaborative rescue effort ensued, spearheaded by emergency response teams including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and law enforcement personnel. The scene was fraught with tension as responders endeavored to locate survivors amidst the turbulent waters.
The aftermath of the incident saw traffic snarls along the Third Mainland Bridge, exacerbated by the closure of lanes due to the ongoing rescue operations.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source within LASEMA acknowledged the challenges faced in confirming the full extent of the casualties. The agency remains committed to unraveling the identities and number of victims involved in the disaster.