The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Mr. Fidet Okhiria, on Thursday gave an account of the brief he got on the accident involving a train and a bus earlier in the day.
The NRC train was involved in an accident with a Lagos State Government staff bus on the rail track in Sogunle area of Lagos.
Two bodies have so far been recovered from the scene, while several others are injured, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, Lagos Territorial Coordinator, NEMA, said the deceased were members of staff of the Lagos State Government
Farinloye said that the state government staff bus was trying to cross the PWD/Sogunle rail crossing while the train, on the rail, was coming into Lagos from Abeokuta.
He said that several other persons injured had been evacuated for proper medical care.
He said that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) flag Officers were reported to have tried to stop the driver of the bus from crossing before the accident.
Okhiria told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos: “According to the information I gathered at the scene of the incident, they said many cars stopped when they got to the level crossing while the Lagos State Staff Bus driver continued moving, which I don’t know why.
“Maybe the driver thought he could pass before the train got nearer to him. He could not pass, then the train crushed the bus; that is what we gathered.
“The train was coming from Ijoko to Iddo,”
He urged Lagos drivers to be more careful when passing through the level crossing, to avoid train accidents.
The managing director, who was concerned about the lives of the Lagos State staff, appealed to motorists to consider the level crossing at all times.
Okhiria said that when motorists get to the level crossing, they should not ignore the point where they should stop.
The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr Taofiq, Adebayo, had said in a statement that a Lagos State Government staff bus was crushed by a moving train at PWD, Ikeja.
Adebayo said that the staff bus was with registration no 04A- 48LA.
He said that the enforcement officers of LASTMA were the first emergency responders at the scene of the accident.
Adebayo said they had called other emergency responders to join in the rescue.
He said that the accident recorded some casualties as the staff bus was fully loaded with govt staff going to office in the morning.
