Two Killed as Train Hits Commuter Bus in Lagos

It was black Friday in Lagos yesterday as no fewer than two persons lost their lives when a train rammed into a commuter bus at Agege Pen Cinema area.

The bus, according to eyewitnesses was parked by the rail line by an unknown driver, blocking another bus from crossing the rail line.

According to the eyewitness, due to the obstruction caused by the parked car, the second bus could not maneuver out of the train’s path, causing it to ram into bus, killing people in the process.

The accident happened at 8.45am and casualties were mostly those who hung on the train frame.

A witness further narrated: “The crash occurred due to a bus parked close to rail line while the driver was not in it; a second bus wanted to pass the point but queued behind the parked bus and horned for it to pass so that he could avoid the oncoming train. Before he realised that the driver was not in the vehicle, it was too late and the train crashed into it. The impact lifted the train from its tracks and those who hung on it were thrown off and crushed by the train.”

The impact of the crash on the vehicles triggered a fire, burning the bus while street urchins allegedly had a field day extorting tricycle operators and motorists who parked close to the rail line.

The harassment of the tricycles nearly led to breakdown of law and order as some whose tricycles were damaged called in the police who made efforts to restore order to the area.

However, both the injured and the dead were evacuated to various hospitals and mortuaries.

The accident caused a traffic snarl which added to the already lockdown which the state has witnessed due to trailers that have invaded residential areas after blocking major roads in the state.

There had been series of ac- cidents involving trains lately in Lagos largely due to carelessness of commuters.

Few weeks ago, an unidentified lady allegedly tried to jump into a moving train, missed her step and fell on the track and was crushed beyond recognition.

Also, a postdoctoral student at the University of Lagos identified as Fatai Mutiu Abolade was crushed by a train along Ikeja railway line in February.

The identity card found on the man showed that he was studying Economics in UNILAG. He was said to be working on his phone oblivious of the surrounding and apparently did not hear that the train was approaching.