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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Six people were killed and dozens injured when a train crashed into a passenger bus in Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday, said the emergency response agency.
The bus was taking government staff to work when it collided with the intra-city train in the Ikeja area of Lagos, said Ibrahim Farinloye, head of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency in the state.
“So far, 84 people were rescued alive and taken to the hospital ... (and) the total deaths so far is six including those who died at the hospital,” said Farinloye. All of the injured people were from the bus, no one on the train was hurt, he said.
Train and truck accidents are common in many Nigerian cities where traffic regulations are usually not adhered to, say local residents. They are a serious problem in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city and commercial hub, despite tough penalties introduced by authorities in recent years to try to curb the crashes.
The bus driver involved in Thursday's crash disobeyed the traffic signal, said Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, secretary with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency. According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the immediate cause of the incident was the bus driver's reckless driving in which he tried to beat the train traffic signal before the train hit him.
Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said he was deeply saddened by the news and called for blood donations. “Let’s say a prayer for the families and a prayer of mercy and protection for our state,” he tweeted.
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Associated Press journalist Dan Ikpoyi in Lagos, Nigeria contributed.