News

March 12, 2012

Passenger killed while boarding train at Agbado, Ogun state

Lagos – A passenger was killed and another broke his legs while rushing to board a moving and  overcrowded train at Agbado train station, Ogun, on Monday.

According to reports, the two separate accidents were linked with the Ijoko-Lagos Mass Transit Trains (MTT) services of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

The mangled body of the dead victim was pulled out from the wheels and placed beside the rail track, while the man with a broken leg was taken to a nearby hospital.

Eyewitnesses told journalist that the two victims slipped and fell off while trying to board the moving train.

“The man that died rushed to board the train while on motion, he would have succeeded but was blocked by passengers hanging at the entrance.

Regular train passengers blamed the accidents on overcrowding and the attitude of passengers who blocked the entrance of the coaches, preventing other passengers from getting onto the train.

An NRC official, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists at Agbado station that the incidents had been reported to the NRC headquarters at Ebute Meta for proper action.

Earlier, the railway police command had warned passengers against hanging on moving trains, saying that offenders would be charged with attempted suicide.

Meanwhile, a trader at Agbado station, Mrs Ronke Ogunlade, has appealed to the NRC to increase the number of shuttle services and attach more coaches to trains on the route.

“The number of passengers on this route is increasing on daily basis; I think more shuttles and more coaches would solve the problem,’’ she said

She said that people would continue to hang on the train because there were not enough coaches for the ever-increasing passengers on the route. (NAN)