At least three persons have been confirmed dead while several others were injured after a bus conveying workers of the Lagos State government rammed into a moving train at the level crossing of PWD/Sogunle, in Ikeja local government area of Lagos State on Thursday morning.
Confirming the incident, the Lagos Territorial Office Coordinator of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said the victims were all staff of the Lagos State government.
LEADERSHIP, however, gathered that the driver of the bus refused to adhere to the directive of level crossing keepers of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), who ordered him to stop for the coming train.
The bus belongs to the Lagos State government and was used as a staff bus for the State’s employees that work at the old secretariat, GRA in Ikeja.
A source in the NRC said, “There are level crossing keepers of NRC at that level crossing controlling train movement on the narrow guage. We also have flagmen at that place controlling the Standard guage line. We were told that they stopped the driver from passing because of the incoming train but he refused. He thought he could pass before the coming of the train. So sad.”
Howerver, in the NEMA statement, Farinloye said “two bodies all of staff of the state government dead and several injured evacuated. The state government staff bus was trying to cross the PWD/Sogunle rail crossing while the train coming into Lagos from Abeokuta trapped the bus on its rail.”
The Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) also confirmed the incident, saying the accident recorded many casualties as the staff bus was fully loaded with government workers going to office on Thursday morning.
The director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq, said, “a Lagos State Government staff bus with registration no 04A- 48LA was this morning crushed by a moving train at PWD, Ikeja area of Lagos.
“LASTMA enforcement officers who was the first emergency responder at the scene of the accident had called other emergency responders and at present rescue activities are currently on-going.
“The accident recorded many casualties as the staff bus is fully loaded with govt staffs going to office this morning. LASTMA officials and other emergency responders are on ground rescuing victims of the accident.”
