Black Thursday: Single mother of four, 5 other  die, 79 injured  as train collides with staff bus in Lagos

IBRAHIM QUADRI, Lagos, COSMAS CHUKWU, Enugu with agency reports

 

At least six staff of the Lagos State Government among them a single mother of four were killed and about 79 others sustained varying degrees of injuries on Thursday when a staff bus and a train had a head-on collision at PWD bus stop railway level crossing along the Agege Motor Road, Ikeja area of the State.

 

The  Staff Bus carrying civil servants and their dependents from Isolo to Alausa, Ikeja

The accident occurred around at 7:30 am when the Lagos State Government staff bus was about to cross the rail track and during the process, it collided with a commercial train at the location. Many of the civil servants and their dependents on the bus sustained varying degrees of injuries.

 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in swift reaction, expressed deep shock and sorrow over the early morning accident and declared three days mourning for  victims of the train/bus accident that occurred at Shogunle area of the state.

 

He confirmed that the number of deaths recorded was six and 79 injured, adding that those  injured were responding to treatment at government hospitals.

Daily Champion learnt that deceased included a single mother of four children, Mrs. Dada.

 

The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa on Thursday  suspended a political walk across Agege in honour of those who lost their lives in a train accident that happened in the Ikeja area of the State earlier in the day.

 

Meanwhile, the six victims of the accident that had left many of their colleagues mourning were identified by emergency officials as including one male and two females staff of the State government while their identities have not been disclosed.

 

The accident was said to have occurred around PWD Bus Stop when the bus was about to cross the rail track and in the process collided with the train.

The tragedy was confirmed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), its Lagos counterpart, LASEMA, and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).

 

The accident which involved an ill-fated Lagos State Government staff bus with number plate 04A- 48LA had compounded gridlock around the axis, reducing the travel time of motorists.

The Southwest Coordinator, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, and Permanent Secretary, LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in separate statements described the accident as a tragedy.

Oke-Osanyintolu said: “Investigation gathered revealed that the immediate cause of the incident could be attributed to reckless driving on the part of the staff bus driver while trying to beat the train traffic signal before the moving train rammed into the BRT bus.

 

“Unfortunately, six adults were confirmed dead and several people were seriously injured. The injured victims have been administered first aid treatment by the agency’s medical team (paramedics) and LASAMBUS officials, well stabilized and being transported to the trauma centre at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Ikeja for further treatment”.

 

Similarly, the capacity of Governor  Sanwo-Olu’s administration to handle emergencies, accidents, and health challenges was displayed on Thursday as the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja responded promptly in saving the lives of victims of the train accident in Lagos State.

 

The victims of the train accident were rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and they were promptly attended to by the medical personnel who created a triage, emergency tents within the hospital to attend urgently to those involved in the accident.

 

The prompt attention and urgent intervention of LASUTH staff who were joined by the students and staff of the College of Medicine of Lagos State University, 79 people out of 85 passengers on the bus were revived and treated for different injuries to stabilize them. They are currently receiving treatment at LASUTH and other government-owned hospitals in the State.

 

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who arrived LASUTH few hours after the accident to see the injured staff of the State Government, expressed his sadness over the unfortunate incident and sympathised with the victims.

 

Sanwo-Olu, who was accompanied by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola and members of the State Executive Council, visited all the victims of accidents at the emergency tents created by the LUTH and also visited those transferred to different wards for further treatment and surgical operations.

 

The Governor said the investigation is ongoing on the accident. He disclosed that the driver of the bus is currently in the custody of the Police.

Speaking to journalists shortly after visiting the injured at LASUTH, Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed that 85 people were involved in the accident out of which 42 had moderate injuries, 29 serious injuries and eight with mild injuries.

 

He said six fatalities was recorded. Two deaths recorded at the scene of the accident while four people died at ICU and during surgical operations.

 

The Governor also disclosed that 25 out of the 83 people brought to LASUTH had been treated very quickly and transferred to the Gbagada General Hospital, Agege General House and Toll Gate Trauma Centre, all in Lagos State for further treatments.

 

Sanwo-Olu commended the LUTH staff and other medical practitioners for their prompt response in saving lives. He also praised the Lagos State Emergency Response Team and all Lagos residents who were involved in a rescue operation at the accident scene.

 

He said: “What you saw out there is a world class medical system where emergency of this nature can be handled. The tent was set up to quickly determine what level of injuries were sustained by the passengers. Some have been sent to surgery and some are in ICU. Some have gone for an X-ray while some are been treated in the ward for further observation.

 

“I want to thank the entire staff of LASUTH both medical, and non-medical, and students of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and the College of Medicine of the Lagos State University. I am very impressed with the level of commitment and the level of solidarity that has been displayed throughout this place today for immediately responding to the call of duty and from the report of what I have seen I need to thank them very much.

 

” I want to thank all of the personnel, especially Lagos State staff who also turned up very quickly to identify with their staff to be able to give them counsel, and encouragement and to be able to say to them that all will be well.  They will be treated and will get back safely.”

 

Sanwo-Olu also encouraged members of the public who want to donate blood to come forth and donate blood to restock the LASUTH blood bank.

 

He  also commended the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Olajide Adediran and the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, for visiting the victims, noting that Lagos has the capacity to tackle emergency.

 

“I want to thank them and commend them for their show of commitment. Beyond politics, the victims of the accident are human beings and public servants so I want to thank them for coming here. I want to also encourage all other public-spirited Lagosians to join us in this very difficult moments,” he said

 

10 burnt to death on Oyo-Ogbomoso Road

Meanwhile, no fewer than 10 passengers were burnt to death on Oyo-Ogbomoso road on Thursday.

Two buses, a Mazda and a Toyota Hiace had a head on collision and the  passengers were burnt beyond recognition.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Ibadan.

The FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Joshua Adekanye, said the incident occurred at about 5.30 a.m around Kilometres 12 Ijawaya on Oyo-Ogbomoso road.

He said that the buses with registration numbers LEM 963 XA and NSR 222 ZS were coming from Lagos and Nasarawa states respectively.

Adekanye said that the vehicles went up in flames immediately resulting in the burning of the occupants.

He attributed the cause of the accident to  speeding and over loading.

He called on motorists to always shun night travelling, speeding and overloading, adding that the fatality would have reduced if the drivers were not on night journeys.

 

10 persons killed in Enugu auto crash

In a related development, it was a gory sight to behold when a commuter bus was crushed by a trailer lorry Thursday.

No fewer than 10 persons were confirmed dead in the fatal accident which occurred at CBN bus stop, along the dilapidated Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

At the scene of the tragedy,  dead bodies were littered everywhere while passers-by made frantic effort to take both the dead bodies and the survivors to a nearby hospital.

The accident occurred at about 8:45am when an 18-seater bus with Enugu registration number, XL884 ENU ran into an incoming trailer carrying bags of cement.

An eyewitness who spoke with our correspondent said the vehicle, which loaded from Abakpa, in Enugu East local government area was headed to New Market when the accident occurred.

“The driver, the one  Simeon was coming from Abakpa and made attempt to overtake another vehicle in his front that was emitting too much carbon monoxide.

“As he made attempt to overtake the vehicle, the trailer was very close and the next thing we heard was a loud sound and the bus was completely damaged. I don’t know how many survived but I counted over 8 dead bodies on the floor,” the eyewitness who gave his name as Chukwudi told our correspondent.

Another account attributed the avoidable crash to the poor state of the road which has forced many motorists to ply one-way.

The Police, Army and Road Safety personnel were seen at the scene of the tragedy to control traffic and avoid any breakdown of law.

 

5 burnt beyond recognition in Badagry-Seme Expressway crash

Meanwhile, five  persons were burnt beyond recognition while three others sustained injuries in a fatal accident on the Badagry-Seme Expressway in Lagos on Thursday.

Sulaiman Taiwo, Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) at Badagry, confirmed the accident.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria that the accident occurred at Akoro Village, on the Badagry-Sème Expressway.

The accident involved a Honda Pilot SUV with registration number LSR 772 HE and motorcycle with unidentifiable registration number.

Taiwo said the driver of the Honda Pilot must have been speeding and lost control before hitting the motorcycle laden with petrol.

“The driver of the jeep collided with the motorcycle resulting in an explosion.

 

“By the time we got to the scene, the raging fire had burnt three persons beyond recognition, while two others lost their lives during the rescue operation.

“Three persons that survived the inferno were taken to the General Hospital in Badagry while the five corpses were deposited at the mortuary in the same hospital,’’ he said.

Taiwo added that the prompt response by personnel of the Customs Service, Fire Brigade, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the police have restored normalcy to the area.

Also speaking with NAN, Medical Director, General Hospital, Badagry, Dr Olatunde Bakare, said some relations of the dead had reported to claim the bodies, while the three survivors were receiving treatment at the Emergency Unit of the hospital.

He urged motorists and other road users to stop carrying petrol inside jerry cans in their vehicles as the rate at which the hospital was treating victims of fire incidents was alarming.

 

Buhari mourns

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sympathy over the accident involving a train and Lagos State BRT staff bus Thursday in Shogunle area of Ikeja.

 

In a reaction to the incident, President Buhari said: “The accident at the level crossing involving the train and the BRT staff bus is distressing and extremely sad. I pray for the souls of the deceased and quick recovery of the many who were injured.”

The President commended the Lagos State authorities and Federal Government agencies for promptly getting involved in relief work, according to a statement by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity).

 

Tinubu commiserates with victims

Meanwhile, the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has sympathized with victims of Ikeja train accident.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Tunde Rahman, Tinubu prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead and recovery of those injured.

His words: “I offer my sincere condolences to the victims and families affected by the gory incident involving a train and a bus in the Ikeja area of Lagos State earlier today.

 

“I am praying for all, including those who died and those who sustained injuries in the tragic and unfortunate incident.

“My thoughts are with them and with the Lagos State Government, even as I continue to follow the emergency response efforts closely and offer support, where necessary, to ensure that survivors and others involved receive the best care.”

 

Also, the Speaker met with the youth, men and women at the Pen Cinema area of Agege on his way from an official engagement and abruptly stopped them.

Obasa gave this indication in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Eromosele Ebhomele, and described the train accident as a sad occurrence just as he sympathised with the families of the victims.

The Speaker thanked the various groups for their support, while asking them to return home in honour of those affected by the accident.

“I want to thank you all for coming out because of me. You have planned this walk since over three weeks and I understand.

“However, there was a sad incident today. A train collided with a bus conveying government staff and I learnt that casualties were recorded.

“You can imagine people who left their homes to go to work only to experience such terrible accident.

 

“As a result of this, I want to urge us all to return to our homes for the sake of the victims. Nobody prays to experience such. So I understand the feelings of the victims’ loved ones at this moment.

“I commiserate with the families of those who lost their lives and support Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as his administration commences a probe of the incident. I also urge you all to pray for the bereaved families and the injured as you all return home,” Obasa told the crowd.

 

Gbajabiamila consoles with families of victims

Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has condoled with families of victims of Thursday’s accident involving a train and a BRT bus in Ikeja, Lagos State.

In a statement  in Abuja, Gbajabiamila expressed grief over the death of innocent  people going to their legitimate businesses.

He described the incident as regrettable,  saying that  the accident was avoidable.

He also sent condolences to the people and Government of Lagos state over the incident and prayed for the repose of the souls of those that lost their lives and quick recovery for the injured.

Also, Ekiti Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has commiserated with his Lagos State counterpart, Mr. Sanwo-Olu, over Thursday’s train accident.

Oyebanji in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Yinka Oyebode on Thursday, in Ado-Ekiti, condoled with Sanwo-Olu, families and colleagues of victims of the accident, and the government and people of the state.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the accident and their families at this difficult time.

“We also pray for speedy recovery for those who sustained injuries in the accident.

“While we commiserate with the families and colleagues of the victims, we pray that God will repose the souls of the deceased and grant the injured speedy recovery,”

 

Transport minister orders investigation

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo has expressed sadness over the train accident which occurred in the early hours of Thursday  in Lagos.

This is contained in a statement by Henshaw Ogubike, Director of Press and Public Relations of the ministry on  in Abuja.

Sambo had also ordered an immediate investigation into the unfortunate incident.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accident involved a Nigerian Railway Corporation passenger train and a Lagos State Government staff bus that was conveying workers to their offices in the Shogunle area of Lagos state.

The minister sympathised with the victims and prayed for the repose of the souls of those that died and quick recovery for the injured ones.

“We are saddened by the news of the accident which occurred this morning, involving a train operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation and a Lagos state staff bus conveying workers to their offices in the early hours of today.

“We pray for those who have lost their lives that the Almighty God should grant them eternal rest and speedy recovery to the injured,”  he said.

He also commiserated with the families of the victims as well as the Government and people of Lagos state over the incident.

He appreciated the Lagos state government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and members of the public for their cooperation in helping to clear the site of the incident and ensuring that the injured got immediate treatment

Always adhere to railways crossing rules, FRSC charges motorists

Similarl, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Babatunde Farinloye, has visited the scene of the crash involving a moving train and the Lagos State staff bus at the PWD railway crossing along Agege Motor Road.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the crash involved Lagos State Government Staff Marcopolo bus with registration number 04A 48 LA and a moving train on Thursday along Agege Motor Road corridor.

Farinloye said that the bus was conveying over 80 passengers as at time of the crash while four adults occupants have been confirmed dead.

According to him, the remaining occupants sustained various degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment at LASUTH Ikeja.

He commiserated with the families of the dead and also wished the injured quick recovery.

He commended all first responders like the FRSC, Nigeria Police, LASEMA, LASTMA for prompt rescue of the victims and promised that the crash will be investigated.

The State Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa, addressing newsmen alongside Heads of Agencies present at the crash scene, confirmed the incident and admonished motorists to always give way to train at all railway level crossings.