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BREAKING: Fire Razes A Section Of Blue Rail Line In Lagos

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2023

A section of the newly-inaugurated Blue Rail Mass Transit project at Marina, Lagos State, has been gutted by fire, causing a setback for the state’s transportation sector. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, had caused people to take to their heels, causing a stampede..

According to eyewitnesses, the fire outbreak started at about 2 p.m. and rapidly spread through the station, causing extensive damage to the generator used in the facility. Many people who were at the station when the fire broke out, including workers and commuters, reportedly ran in different directions, with some of them mistaking the sound of the fire for an explosion.

However, no life was lost, and no one was injured in the incident, as firefighters from both the Federal and State fire stations quickly arrived at the scene to put out the fire before it could spread to other sections of the station.

The Lagos State Government has assured commuters that the incident will not affect the daily operations of the rail line, as the affected section will be quickly reconstructed and brought back to life.

Speaking to journalists, the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mr. Abimbola Akinajo, said, “The incident has caused a setback, but it will not affect the daily operations of the rail line. We have already commenced reconstruction of the affected section and hope to have it up and running in no time.”

Meanwhile, investigations are currently ongoing to determine the cause of the fire outbreak. Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has promised that the government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that those responsible for the incident are brought to book.

“We will not rest until we get to the bottom of this. We will investigate the incident thoroughly and ensure that those responsible for the fire outbreak are brought to justice,” Governor Sanwo-Olu said.

The Blue Rail Mass Transit project, which was inaugurated in December 2022, is part of the state government’s efforts to ease traffic congestion in Lagos and provide efficient and affordable transportation for residents.

The project, which covers a distance of 27 kilometers from Marina to Okokomaiko, was executed by the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) at a cost of $1.4 billion. The rail line has since become a preferred mode of transportation for many Lagosians, especially those who live and work around the Marina axis.

As at the time of filing this report, the affected section of the station was still cordoned off as officials continued to assess the damage caused by the fire. However, commuters have been advised to use alternative means of transportation pending when the station will be fully operational again.