Friday saw the collapse of three 40-foot containers in various parts of Lagos State.
The incidents happened in the precincts of Ikeja Underbridge, Mile 12 and Ojuelegba.
On Friday morning at around 6:55 am, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, responded to a 40-foot container that had fallen off a trailer on the Ojuelegba bridge near the National Stadium, Surulere.
According to the agency, the event closed the whole main roadway of the bridge, which resulted in traffic being redirected.
LASTMA tweeted: “#Ojuelegba #RoadIncident A 40ft container fell off a trailer on Ojuelegba bridge inward Stadium blocking the entire main carriageway now—diversion in progress thru the Ojuelegba service lanes.
“Men of the Nigerian Police Force are already on the ground as a mechanism for evacuation has arrived.”
The second incident occurred at Ikeja Underbridge, near the General Hospital.
LASTMA reported that the container fell at 7 a.m. and needed to be unloaded before it could be recovered.
The tweet read: “#RoadIncident. A fallen 40-foot container-laden truck fell at General Hospital under the bridge of Ikeja. It needs to be offloaded before recovery is done. Personnel fully on the ground managing traffic accordingly.”
The traffic management authority then tweeted on Friday afternoon that another container had fallen along the Mile 12 area of Ikorodu road, stating that there is currently no access through the service lane.
LASTMA also stated that recovery efforts are still ongoing, with officials already on the ground. It was also noted that no casualties were reported.
“A fallen 40ft container at Demurin junction inwards Ile Ile/Mile 12, there is no access through the service lane presently.
“Effort is on for recovery while our officers are on scene managing the situation effectively. No casualties recorded.”
Lagos has been inundated lately with avoidable large vehicular mishaps, especially involving containers.
A few Lagosians have called for the enforcement of regulations concerning the movement of large containers, like how they should be strapped down to the vehicles conveying them especially as they climb bridges, and clear indications of headroom when passing under the bridges.
Such attention to detail, they say, could have prevented the rail mishap on Thursday, when a Lagos State staff bus was rammed into by a train at Ikeja.
A rail crossing gate and traffic warning system should have been installed to warn oncoming vehicles about the passing of the train.
No death was recorded in Friday’s container accidents. But six people were reported to have lost their lives in Thursday’s rail accident.
