By Chiazo Ogbolu
Economic activities inside the Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, were disrupted on Thursday when a containers-laden train derailed and rammed into a moving truck also carrying cargo containers.
For several hours, there was no access into terminals at the port.
The truck was squeezed while containers on it were damaged.
An eyewitness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the accident resulted from poor control of traffic at the level crossing inside the port complex.
A clearing agent, Mr Emeka Okpara, said that the train driver signalled moving trucks to stop, but a contrary signal by someone else to the truck driver to move caused the collision.
“The truck driver alighted, opened the closed barricade and started to move his truck at a time the train was too close.
The truck head had already crossed the rail track, but the trailer with two containers on it was rammed to the wall of a terminal building.
Speaking to journalists, former Vice-Chairman, National Association of Road Transport Owners, Dry Cargo Section, Abdullahi Inuwa, said the accident was not a happenstance as similar accidents had happened in the past.
(NAN)
