From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
No fewer than two passengers got injured as a moving train crushed a Dangote Cement trailer and commercial tricycle in Kano state.
The incident occurred on Obasanjo Road in Kano metropolis at 11:30am on yesterday.
Eyewitnesses, who run businesses near the railtrack, said they saw the trailer coming towards the rail line as the train was speeding.
The witnesses said they attempted to flag down the trailer but the driver didn’t notice.
“As we were sitting in our office, about three minutes to the occurrence of the incident, we heard an unusual sound of the train’s horn. We then came out to see what is wrong.
“As we came out, we saw the traing on high speed and the trailer, coming from Zaria road was also approaching the rail track. We noticed that if the trailer fail to stop, there would a collision with the train.
“We attempted to flag the trailer down but the driver and his co-driver were busy chatting. They didn’t notice. Before you know it, we heard a thunderous sound as the train hit the trailer. This tricycle rider, also did not notice what is going on, so he followed the trailer to cross the rail track together, but the train hit both the trailer and the tricyle with three passengers on board,” said an eyewitness, Salisu Umar.
The witnesses said the passengers in the tricycle had been rushed to hospital unconscious, while the driver of the trailer was said to have escaped unhurt.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC, Kano Command, Abdullahi Labaran, confirmed the incident and said four persons, two women and two men were involved in the accident.
He said out of the four persons, only two who sustained severe injuries and are currently receiving treatment at hospital, adding that the other two passengers escaped unhurt.
As at the time of filling this report, the trailer is still overturned with good Samaritans evacuating the bags of cements loaded on the truck, as security agents are present to prevent hoodlums from looting the goods.
