Train kills 4, crushes tricycle in Lagos

By Chioma Joseph, Lagos

Four persons on Tuesday lost their lives when a tricycle collided with a speeding train at the Iju-Ishaga area of Ifako Ijaye Local Council Development Area of Lagos at about 7 am. 

The tricycle which had five persons on board had attempted to drive past the railway track when its tyres got stock on the track. The train which was on top speed crushed the tricycle resulting in the death of the four persons while one person escaped unhurt.  

Confirming the incident, the Lagos state Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) advised motorists, tricycle operators and other road users against reckless driving, over speeding, as well as for them to be vigilant, especially when driving through the railway crossings to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.

General Manager LASEMA, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu said, the agency received the distress call about the incident at 6:52 am. This he said, prompted the immediate activation of the agency’s response team and other stakeholders to the scene of the incident. 

Tiamiyu said that “preliminary investigation gathered at the scene of incident revealed that a tricycle with five people on board had a collision with a moving train resulting to the death of four persons (three adult males and one adult female), while one adult male escaped unhurt.

“The agency’s response team and other stakeholders, which includes the Lagos state Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Lagos state Ambulance Service, the police and the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit were responders at the incident scene. The dead bodies were recovered and handed over to the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit to be moved to the mortuary.”

Tiamiyu noted that the incident, could have  been avoided if road traffic rules were strictly adhered to by the tricycle operator.