Bus-Train Crash: Sanwo-Olu visits hospitals, commiserates with Lagos accident victims

*Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State Thursday, March 9 cancels  all the State Government’s public engagements to sympathise with the victims the accident in which six passengers died and about 80 others got  injured

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Following the unfortunate bus-train accident in the heart of the city, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State in the morning Thursday, March 9, 2023, cancelled all of the State Government’s public activities earlier scheduled for the day.

ConsumerConnect reports the accident involving a train and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) vehicle occurred along the popular Public Works Department (PWD)/Shogunle railway crossing, in Ikeja, Lagos State capital.

It was gathered affected bus with the Lagos registration Number 04A- 48LA, No. 33, was heading for Alausa, Ikeja from Isolo area of the state, and in the processing of beating other motorists at the PWD rail crossing, Shogunle, collided with an oncoming train.

The BRT was carrying several passengers, majorly civil servants, and some dependants at the time of the crash.

Initially, three passengers, including two women and a man, in the bus, which the moving train crash into Thursday were confirmed dead immediately at the crash scene whereas three other victims died on their way to the hospital in Lagos.

Speaking on the cancellation of all the Lagos State Government’s (LASG) public engagements after the bus-train accident, Mr. Segun Dawodu, Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, at a programme at the Point View Event Centre Ikeja, disclosed Governor Sanwo-Olu had been scheduled to meet over 2,000 youths across the cosmopolitan state.

Dawudu said the cancellation was in honour of the victims of the crash, a report noted.

How the train rammed into BRT bus

Eye-witnesses related the moving train was coming from Agege area and met the bus with the Lagos state government workers on board crossing the rail to link Ikeja GRA.

One of the onlookers said the tragic incident, which happened early in the day claimed a number of lives, and injured as many as 80 other passengers.

Victims receiving treatment in LASUTH: LASEMA Chief

It was learnt the victims of the accident, who were the LASG workers had been taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), in Ikeja, Gbagada General Hospital, as well as Agege General Hospital, and trauma centre at toll gate, Ikeja.

Dr. Oluwafemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), who disclosed this development, said: “The incident happened around 7:38 a.m. this morning.

“As you (reporters) can see the train collided with a bus.”

Oke-Osanyintolu also explained “but, we have activated our emergency effort plan, and all key stakeholders that are important in emergency are on the ground.”

Speaking about casualties at the secret of the accident earlier, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, said: “We were able to rescue people and recover two bodies. And the operation is still ongoing.”

“I can’t really talk about the number of the casualty but there are casualties that have been taking to the LASUTH,” Oke-Osanyintolu added.

Hours after the accident, the incident caused a gridlock on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway for several motorists coming from Oshodi around Shogunle to Ikeja-Along, according to report.

However, the officials of the LASEMA, the Lagos State Transport Management Agency (LASTMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Police Command, and the Nigerian Army were reportedly present at the scene of the accident to direct vehicular traffic.

‘Youth timeout with the governor’ event rescheduled

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development has said the youths, who were already seated waiting for Sanwo-Olu Thursday morning, were asked to go home as the event had been rescheduled.

Dawodu said the event tagged: ‘Youth Timeout with the Governor’, would now hold next week as Governor Sanwo-Olu was visiting the injured in the hospital and would not make it to the event any longer Thursday.

He urged some of the youths present for the programme to visit the Gbagada General Hospital and LASUTH to donate blood to the injured ones.

The Commissioner further expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident.

Dawodu assured the Lagos State Government would provide all necessary support to those who were injured.

He, therefore, implored all Lagosians to say a word of prayer for the departed souls.

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