Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos has declared three days mourning for those who died in the accident involving a train and Lagos state staff bus at the Shogunle area of the state on Thursday morning.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, while giving an update at LASUTH on Thursday, confirmed that six persons died in the accident. 

Mr Sanwo-Olu announced that his political campaigns would be suspended while he declared three days mourning for the victims.

He said that all flags would be raised at half mast for the next three days while the state mourned its staff. 

The governor said the mourning would commence at noon on Friday and end on Sunday.

“This morning, I will be instructing the head of service to declare a half-day of work tomorrow, meaning that by 12 o’clock tomorrow, people should be asked to leave work so that we can jointly mourn our staff and loved ones,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said. 

“I have also instructed all our Lagos and political flags should be raised at half mast for the next three days. We also declared a three-day mourning for us as a state so that we can mourn our staff deeply and visit family members just to commiserate with them. I will also be suspending my campaign for the next three days; there will not be any form of public engagement or any form of campaigning during this period.”

While reacting to reports that treatment was delayed, Mr Sanwo-Olu said health workers responded to the victims swiftly. 

“Emergencies of this magnitude had to be easily profiled out. The tents were quickly set up; it was not there before. And they were able to immediately determine what level of injuries were sustained by different passengers. Some have been sent to surgeries while some are in ICU and some have been treated,” he noted. 

Mr Sanwo-Olu thanked the two major opposition candidates in the gubernatorial race, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Olajide “Jandor” Adediran and Labour Party Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour for visiting the scene and sympathising with the victims and relatives. 

“It is important that I commend two of my fellow candidates in other parties. I am told that Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has been here, as well as Olajide Adediran. I want to thank them for their show of commitments beyond politics, these are human beings and public servants. I want to thank them very much for coming here and I want to encourage all Lagosians to join us in this very difficult moment,” he said.