Train, BRT bus accident: 32 survivors discharged from hospitals – Lagos Commissioner
Lagos Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has disclosed that 32 survivors of the train and BRT bus accident have been discharged from different hospitals in the state.
Abayomi who said this at a news conference, Friday in Lagos while providing updates on the Thursday morning accident which occurred off the Agege Motor Road, by the PWD busstop, when a Lagos-Abeokuta shuttle train operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation rammed into fully-loaded BRT bus deployed by the Lagos Government for use as staff vehicle.
The commissioner who also disclosed that the accident recorded 102 casualties including six fatalities confirmed that all the patients are presently in stable medical condition.
According to the commissioner, 19 survivors of the accident were discharged from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH); five from the Toll Gate Trauma Centre and eight from the Orile-Agege General Hospital. He added that all the victims with varying degrees of injuries life threatening conditions were admitted and treated at LASUTH.
”25 patients with moderate injuries were later referred to five general hospitals in Lagos for further treatment and to decongest LASUTH.
”People donated 256 voluntary units of blood and 40 units were transfused yesterday (Thursday),” Abayomi said.
While commending blood donors, assuring that it would also assist to replenish the state’s blood bank, the commissioner noted that based on existing policy, medical bills of all patients treated as a result of the incident would be covered by the state government.
He commended the staff of LASUTH and other health workers for their prompt response to the accident victims, just as he further pointed out that the medical personnel who created a triage emergency tents within LASUTH assisted to save lives, speed up injury level profiling and support immediate critical action.
All victims of the accident were staff of the Lagos State Government as the BRT bus was operated by it for staff movement.
Thursday’s morning accident involved one of the buses carrying civil servants from Isolo to Alausa in Ikeja which was hit by a train as the bus driver attempted crossing the rail line despite stop traffic signals
Casualties of the accident which occurred at 7.30 a.m. on Thursday were taken to LASUTH for treatment.
There are 85 passengers on board the bus, 17 people associated with the accident, among which 42 sustained moderate injuries, 29 serious and eight mild injuries.
According to eyewitness account, Thursday, the train hit the BRT bus and dragged for about 500 meters to Shogunle busstop before coming to halt.
Six people have so far been confirmed dead in the accident.
