Tragedy as a yet-to-be identified apprentice auto mechanic died on Monday while working under a containerised truck beside the Chivita Teashop at the Ajao Estate area of Lagos state.
WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the deceased, an apprentice was working under a loaded twin 20-foot containerised truck around 8pm when the jack that raised the truck up slipped and the chassis frame crushed him to death.
It was gathered from PUNCH metro that their reporter who visited the scene of the incident observed the bloodied scene under the truck while the whole area was deserted.
According to an eyewitness identified as Bashiru Simeon, the deceased had been working on the truck for the past five days before his death.
He added that he learnt that the deceased was supposed to earn his freedom from his boss next month.
Simeon stated, “The boy came from Ibadan to work on the truck and while he was working on it with one other person yesterday (Monday), they used a small jack to raise the chassis of the truck up.
“The other person working on the other side was hitting the truck, while the deceased was working on the trunk.
“As the other person was hitting the truck, the jack slipped and the chassis frame fell on the apprentice’s head and he died on the spot. The rescue team had to use a forklift to lift the truck before they could remove his corpse.
“It was five days they had been working on the truck before the young man died yesterday (Monday) and I heard that he was about to secure his freedom next month.”
The Head, Public Affairs of LASEMA, Nosa Okunbor confirmed the incident.
Okunbor said:
“On arrival, the body of a male adult mechanic was found on the floor in a pool of his own blood.
“Further investigation revealed that the mechanic was working under a jacked up twin 20-foot loaded containerised truck and the jack suddenly slipped and the chassis frame member by the turntable hit him and he fell and died almost immediately.”
Okunbor added that the corpse was handed over to policemen from the Ajao Estate Police Division.
