Fallen container kills 1, other injured in Lagos

A fallen container has crushed a yet-to-be-identified man to death at COSTAIN Roundabout in Lagos State.

Also, the incident, which happened at about 11.30pm on May 11, left a female passerby with a broken leg and other injuries.

According to eye witnesses, the yet-to-be-identified adult male and female were passing by when the incident involving the 40ft container uploaded from the articulated vehicle and crushed the adult male to death instantly, leaving the adult female with severe injuries that included a broken left leg.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, (LASEMA), Nosa Okunbor, said the agency activated the Lagos State Emergency Response team when the incident was reported via a distressed call close to midnight through the agency’s emergency toll free line – 112, at about 11:43p.m on May 11.

He said the agency worked overnight to evacuate the casualty, victim and the container.

He stated that the situation Report by the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA,  Mr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu has it that, “Upon arrival at the incident scene, an articulated truck laden with a 40ft container was discovered to have fallen. Further investigations revealed that the truck had suffered brake failure while enroute the COSTAIN Roundabout and as a result, the container load fell off the back of the truck conveying it.

“Unfortunately, the container fell on an adult male and adult female. The adult male was totally crushed and immediately lost his life as a result of the trauma, while the adult female was extricated alive by the LRT through deployment of the agency’s heavy duty forklift- the Goliath. Thereafter, the agency’s paramedics administered pre-hospital care before quickly conveying her to a nearby hospital.

“The deceased adult male body has been bagged and handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, SEHMU, for further action.

“The truck and its fallen container has been recovered off the road with aid of the agency’s heavy duty forklift and placed on a nearby layby before being handed over to officers of the Nigerian Police at the scene.

“Present at the operation was the LASEMA LRT, LASAMBUS and officials of the Nigerian Police Force”.

He announced that the road has been reopened for public use as recovery operation has been concluded.