It is a sad day for government workers in Lagos State on Thursday as a moving train rammed into a state bus conveying civil servants to work.
The unfortunate crash occurred at the PWD bus stop in the Ikeja area of the state on Thursday morning. Already, three persons have been confirmed dead by emergency responders, and over 82 persons injured and rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja.
The sights from the scene are gory as passersby watch in horror even as dead and injured victims were extricated from the bus which was hit right on the rail tracks.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) spokesman, Adebayo Taofiq said. However, the bus involved in the crash is the same as the regular BRT buses in the state, the bus was a staff bus of the Lagos State Government.
Also, a spokesman for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nosa Okunbor said, “Two adult females and one male staff of the State Government lost their lives in the crash and 82 others were injured and evacuated to LASUTH.”
“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,” he added.
First responders later arrived at the scene for rescue operations.
Fatal cases of vehicle-train collisions have resulted in casualties over the years. The last one was recorded in December 2022 when a passenger train from Kaduna to Abuja crushed a middle-aged woman to death on the rail track around the Kubwa area of the nation’s Federal Capital Territory. Stakeholders and safety experts have repeatedly called for preventive measures to stop the recurrence but not much can be said to have been done by the concerned authorities.
Gov Sanwo-Olu Visits Victims At LASUTH
Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the injured victims of the crash at LASUTH.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the train/bus accident. The vehicle was conveying staff of the Lagos state government, our staff who serve the state in different capacities,” the governor said in a statement.
“Let’s say a prayer for the families and a prayer of mercy and protection for our state. My thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.”
