Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed deep shock and sorrow over the accident involving a train and a Lagos State Government staff bus, which happened between Shogunle and Ikeja axis.
The governor, alongside his deputy, Femi Hamzat and other government officials, paid a visit to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to condole with the families of those that lost their lives in the accident, praying that God would grant them eternal rest.
He said: “I was at LASUTH for on the spot assessment of the condition of the victims of the bus/train accident.
“The team at LASUTH expertly setup an outdoor triage centre which has contributed in saving lives, speeding up injury level profiling and supporting immediate critical action.
“This was a totally avoidable incident that simply required patience and the need to follow proper transportation protocol.
“There were 85 passengers on board the bus with 6 deaths, 42 moderate injuries, 29 serious and 8 mild injuries according to the LASUTH classification scale.
“Lagos is in a state of mourning and for the next 3 days, I am suspending all campaign activities. All flags will be flown at half mast and tomorrow all civil servants will work till 12 noon before returning home to be with their loved ones during this trying time.
“It is still a critical period for some of the patients as we continue to call for blood donations across different state government medical facilities.
“This is a call for our humanity to rise above all. I also thank LASEMA, the security agencies, staff and students of LASUTH, and everyone who rose up to the occasion as soon as this unfortunate accident happened.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the accident. The vehicle was conveying staff of the Lagos State Government, our staff who serve the state in different capacities.
“Let’s say a prayer for the families and a prayer of mercy and protection for our state.
“My thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.”
“A big thank you to well-meaning Lagosians, who immediately joined in rescue efforts. Our first responders and emergency services are on ground and we will share more information shortly.”
When asked about the fate of the driver, Lagos State Police Commissioner said: “Our attention is largely on saving lives, then an investigation will commence thereafter.”
Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), who visited the scene said an investigation should commence to unravel what led to the accident. “This is unbecoming, just less than 24 hours after the Akere Market incident.
