Several injured, others trapped as passenger train derails in Lagos

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Hundreds of passengers escaped death on Thursday in Lagos when a mass transit shuttle train derailed at the Ashade railway crossing on the Agege-Ikeja corridor in Lagos.

The incident, which a Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt, happened at about 7.15hrs, leaving some of the passengers injured.

NAN also reports that some personnel from various security agencies immediately cordoned off the area, to maintain law and order, while some of the injured were rushed to some hospitals in the neighbourhood, for first aid treatment.

Mr Augustine Arisa, the Acting Lagos District Manager of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC), told NAN that no life was, however, lost in the incident.

“The derailment happened when the Apapa-bound mass transit train skidded off its tracks at the Asade Railway Crossing at Agege, on the Ikeja Corridor.

“The shuttle train was going from Ijoko in Ogun, to Apapa.

“The situation is now under control. We learnt that there was no casualty in the incident as some of the passengers only had minor injuries.

“Everything is now under control and we are trying to put the train back on the tracks,’’ he said.

Arisa, however, confirmed on telephone later that an injured passenger from the incident was recuperating at the NRC Hospital, Ebute Meta.

NAN further reports that the derailment caused a traffic jam along Capitol Road, Agege, which also extended to Mosalasi Alhaja, towards Mangoro area in Ikeja.

NAN reports that on Nov. 16, 2018 a passenger train derailed around abattoir area of Agege and on June 20 of the same year, a commercial bus also rammed into a moving train around the Agege corridor. (NAN)