Passengers escape death as train derails in Lagos

Passengers on board an Iddo bound train travelling from Ijoko in Ogun State narrowly escaped death when the train derailed on Thursday morning.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed the incident to journalists.

About 10 passengers were said to have been injured in the accident that occurred around 7:35am near Ashade Market in Lagos. The accident happened after the train departed from the Agege railway station.

An eyewitness account has it that the train was on motion when the guard van and power car derailed, leaving many passengers at varying degrees of injuries.

It was gathered that the driver of the train stopped briefly to assess the extent of the accident, but later sped off with the two derailed coaches left behind.

An eyewitness, Johnson Abbah, said as soon as the train got to Ashade Market, a sudden thunderous sound was heard that shook the surrounding.

Abbah further explained that the passengers that sustained injuries were later rushed to Federal Medical Centre Ebute-metta for treatment.

However, the derailment affected train service as the Kajola to Apapa train terminated its journey at Agege, as passengers had no option than to disembark and look for commercial vehicles to take them to their various destinations.