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Ten passengers have sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle accident on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos after a commercial bus that stopped to fix a faulty tyre was reportedly hit by another bus, triggering a chain collision involving a trailer.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said the crash occurred on Wednesday morning, October 21, 2026, after the first bus stopped on the bridge to address the tyre problem. Blueprint reports
According to the agency, another commercial bus subsequently rammed into the stationary vehicle, while a trailer crashed into the second bus before leaving the scene.
The collision left 10 passengers injured and disrupted traffic along one of Lagos’s busiest transport corridors, prompting the intervention of emergency responders.
The injured passengers received first aid at the scene before being evacuated to hospital for further medical attention.
Emergency personnel also worked to clear the affected section of the bridge, allowing traffic to resume after the damaged vehicles and other obstructions were removed.
The incident has again drawn attention to road safety on the Third Mainland Bridge, where previous accidents involving commercial buses, private cars and heavy-duty vehicles have resulted in injuries, fatalities and severe traffic disruption.
How the crash happened
The sequence of events began when a commercial bus reportedly developed a tyre problem and stopped on the bridge for repairs.
The vehicle’s stationary position created a potential obstruction for other motorists using the busy route.
A second commercial bus then struck the vehicle, according to the account provided by LASEMA. The situation escalated when a trailer rammed into the second bus before leaving the scene.
The impact of the successive collisions left several passengers injured, bringing the total number of casualties reported by the emergency agency to 10.
The available account did not identify the vehicles involved by registration numbers or establish whether any of the drivers sustained injuries.
It was also unclear whether the trailer driver had been identified or whether police had begun a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
The reported departure of the trailer from the scene raises questions about the need to identify the vehicle and its driver as part of any investigation. However, no conclusion can be drawn about the driver’s conduct or the precise circumstances of the departure without further official information.
The incident also highlights the risks associated with stopping vehicles on high-speed roads, particularly bridges where motorists may have limited room to manoeuvre around an obstruction.
Emergency responders evacuate injured passengers
Following the crash, emergency responders administered first aid to the injured passengers and arranged their evacuation to hospital for treatment.
LASEMA’s intervention also involved efforts to remove the obstruction and restore traffic movement along the affected section of the bridge.
The prompt clearance of accident scenes is particularly important on the Third Mainland Bridge because collisions can quickly trigger long traffic queues, delaying commuters and potentially obstructing access for emergency vehicles.
The agency said the affected section was eventually cleared and reopened to traffic.
However, details of the hospitals to which the injured passengers were taken, their identities and the severity of their injuries were not immediately available in the information provided.
No death was reported in the account of the incident.
The circumstances of the crash and the condition of the injured passengers may become clearer if the emergency agency or other relevant authorities release additional information.
Third Mainland Bridge records repeated crashes
The latest incident is not an isolated occurrence on the Third Mainland Bridge, which connects Lagos Island with the mainland and carries substantial daily commuter traffic.
On October 19, 2026, five people were reported injured in another multiple-vehicle crash on the bridge, inward Lagos Island, around Iyana Oworo.
The Guardian reported that the accident involved two Toyota Camry cars, a Mazda car and a mini truck. The incident was reportedly attributed to reckless driving and caused a traffic backlog along the route.
Traffic personnel deployed safety cones around the scene while police officers worked to regulate vehicular movement and reduce the risk of secondary collisions.
The incident, just two days before the latest reported crash, underlines the recurring challenge of managing road safety and traffic flow on the bridge.
In February 2026, six commuters were injured when a fully loaded Volkswagen commercial bus reportedly suffered brake failure and overturned around the Adekunle axis of the bridge, inward Iyana-Oworonsoki.
According to a report by The Guardian, the injured passengers included two men and four women. One victim reportedly sustained a serious eye injury.
Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) carried out rescue operations, while injured passengers were taken to hospital by emergency personnel and Good Samaritans.
The incident prompted renewed calls for commercial drivers to maintain their vehicles properly and ensure that braking systems are in good working condition before embarking on journeys.
Previous crashes have claimed lives
Some accidents on the bridge have had more serious consequences.
In May 2026, a woman died while her 30-year-old daughter survived a collision involving two Toyota Sienna vehicles around the Ilaje axis, inward Iyana Oworo.
Premium Times reported that LASTMA’s preliminary findings suggested that excessive speeding and reckless driving might have contributed to the head-on collision.
In July 2025, a commercial bus collided with a Toyota Camry near Adekunle Junction, causing the bus to somersault several times. Reports by Premium Times and The Guardian said several passengers were injured, although no fatalities were recorded.
Another serious accident occurred in September 2024 when two Mazda commercial buses collided near Ilaje along the Oworonsoki-bound carriageway. One person died, while eight others sustained injuries.
LASTMA attributed that crash to a high-speed chase involving the two buses, according to reports by The Guardian and Channels Television.
The incidents illustrate the range of circumstances that have contributed to crashes on the bridge, including reported speeding, reckless driving, vehicle defects and collisions involving commercial transport operators.
They do not, however, establish the cause of the latest accident, which will require a separate assessment by the relevant authorities.
Vehicle maintenance and road safety under scrutiny
The latest crash highlights the importance of proper vehicle maintenance, especially for commercial buses and heavy-duty vehicles that operate daily on major transport routes.
A tyre fault can force a driver to stop unexpectedly, but the risks can be reduced through regular inspections, timely replacement of worn tyres and the use of appropriate safety measures when a vehicle develops a problem on the road.
Motorists approaching a stationary vehicle also need to maintain safe following distances, remain alert and adjust their speed to traffic conditions.
For articulated vehicles and trailers, routine checks of tyres, brakes and other critical components are particularly important because of their size, weight and the potential consequences of losing control.
Where a vehicle becomes disabled on a bridge or other high-speed road, appropriate warning measures and prompt assistance can help alert approaching motorists and reduce the risk of a secondary collision.
The latest incident also reinforces the need for effective enforcement of traffic regulations and coordinated responses by emergency agencies, traffic managers and the police.
With 10 passengers injured in Wednesday’s crash, attention is likely to focus on the circumstances that led to the chain collision, the condition of the vehicles involved and whether any traffic or road-safety violations contributed to the incident.
For now, the injured passengers are receiving medical attention, while the affected section of the Third Mainland Bridge has been reopened to traffic.
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