Three persons have been confirmed dead and several casualties were recorded when a moving train collided with a fully loaded high capacity bus belonging to Lagos State Government Staff in the PwD/Shogunle area of Ikeja, Lagos State, on Thursday morning.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) spokesman, Adebayo Taofiq confirmed the sad incident in a telephone chat with our correspondent.
According to an eyewitness, two adult females, 1 young male have been recovered dead. While 84 persons were rescued alive and taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
A Twitter user, Gidi, while sharing the video taken from the scene of the incident said, “One minute you’re going to work in a BRT, next minute a train is dragging your bus from ikeja to shogunle. I pray for everyone involved this morning – @seunlopez_ #Lagos”.
“A significant number of casualties are anticipated following a collision involving a train and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle. The train collided with the BRT, causing it to be dragged from the Ikeja Along area to Shogunle,” he added.
Though the bus involved in the crash is the same as the regular BRT buses in the state, Taofiq said the bus was a staff bus of the Lagos State Government.
Earlier, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency in Lagos, Ibrahim Farinloye said, “Two adult females 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,” he added.
First responders have since arrived the scene and rescue activities are currently ongoing.
Some photos from the scene of the incident
