A funeral procession turned tragic on Wednesday morning after a mini commercial bus conveying a corpse crashed in the Idimu area of Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State, leaving five people injured.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. as the bus, part of a convoy transporting the deceased from Ejigbo to Ikotun, reportedly suffered brake failure near the Idimu bus stop. The driver lost control and collided with another vehicle in the funeral convoy.
According to eyewitnesses, the crash triggered panic among mourners and bystanders as they rushed to assist the injured and protect the coffin, which remained inside the damaged vehicle. Three women and two men were confirmed to have sustained varying degrees of injuries in the crash.
A witness, who identified herself as Foluke, said the severity of the collision caused some passengers to fall from the vehicles. “At first, we thought it was a normal bus accident until we saw the coffin inside,” she recounted.
The driver of the affected bus revealed that the vehicle had shown signs of mechanical trouble earlier in the trip. “The bus started moving slowly midway through the journey but later picked up. As we approached Idimu, the brake failed completely. I couldn’t stop the bus, and it rammed into the one ahead,” he explained.
Among the injured was a female passenger seen nursing a leg injury while clinging to the coffin. Several others sat on the roadside as concerned residents administered first aid.
A local food vendor at the scene reported that at least three victims appeared to have sustained broken legs. “Some people’s legs were trapped in the seats. It was the people around who helped free them,” she said.
Some members of the funeral party had already driven ahead before realising the hearse was missing. One mourner said they were nearing the Council bus stop when they received a call informing them of the accident.
Emergency responders quickly moved the injured to a nearby hospital, while the corpse was transferred to another vehicle to continue the journey to its final resting place.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
