A devastating multiple-vehicle crash involving several heavy-duty trucks claimed at least eight lives on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Thursday morning, causing a massive inferno and severe traffic gridlock.

The accident occurred near the Kara Bridge on the outward Lagos section, close to the Berger axis. Eyewitnesses reported a chaotic scene where one truck plunged into the Kara River, while two others collided and burst into flames.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) confirmed the death toll in an official statement, detailing that the crash involved multiple trucks. According to the agency, the incident included a container-laden trailer that caught fire, another truck that spilled cartons of biscuits onto the road, and a fourth vehicle whose carrier fell off the bridge into the river.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, LASTMA, and firefighters were swiftly deployed to the scene. Television footage showed thick black smoke billowing from the wreckage as emergency crews worked to extinguish the blaze and conduct recovery operations.

The collision triggered a severe traffic backlog, with congestion stretching from the Berger axis through Ogunnusi Road and toward Mowe.

LASTMA, in its statement, assured the public that recovery efforts were a top priority. “LASTMA officers and other emergency responders are on the ground managing the situation,” the statement read, while urging motorists to exercise patience and use alternative routes.

At the time of reporting, emergency officials remained on site to recover the fallen truck from the river, evacuate the burnt vehicles, and fully reopen the critical highway to traffic.