A passenger train that departed Lagos for Kano derailed at Jebba in
the early hours of Saturday, leaving at least two dead and many
passengers injured according to reports.
The train left Lagos at 12:00 noon on Friday with dozens of passengers and consignments, a survivor said. The survivor who spoke with Premium Times on Saturday afternoon said
the crash occurred after the train suffered brake failure at Jebba Train
Station shortly after 7 a.m.
The survivor, who asked that his identity be protected, said the
accident claimed at least four lives with undetermined number of injured
commuters currently undergoing treatment at various emergency
facilities in the town.
“The train left Lagos yesterday and crashed in Jebba this morning
around 7 a.m. as it was trying to stop for those of us coming to Jebba,”
the survivor said. “It was due to brakes failure.”
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who responded
to the emergency said two persons were confirmed dead after detached
coaches from the train fell on passengers.
Bisi Kazeem, FRSC’s Head of Media Relations, told PREMIUM TIMES the
train was conveying goods to Kano, but had few passengers on-board.
“The accident occurred on satyrday morning near Jebba Paper Mill and we can
confirm that two people, unfortunately, lost their lives and three
people were injured,” Mr. Kazeem said. “The train is used more as a
cargo train, but it had some travellers inside.”
Mr. Kazeem further stated that road safety officials and police
worked together to rescue trapped passengers and evacuate the injured to
the hospital.
“With the support of the police, we were able to get those who were
trapped out alive and took those who survived injuries to the hospital.”
Premium Times
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