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Electrical cable sparks fire on Lagos Blue Line Bridge, fire contained without casualties 

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Patrick Ntu
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A fire broke out on the tracks of the Lagos Blue Line along the overhead Eko (train) Bridge, inward Apongbon, Ijora Olopa, on Saturday at around 4:12 PM, triggered by an electrical cable powering the train system.

Videos circulating online showed flames on the bridge, though no train was in operation at the time.

The incident was confirmed via social media by several Lagos State Government officials, including Gboyega Akosile, spokesperson for Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor.

“There was a fire outbreak on a small section of the Lagos Blue Line track at a spot opposite NEPA Station by Eko Bridge inward Apogbon. The incident occurred at 4:12pm. 

“No casualty is reported and no train service at the time of the incident,” Akosile’s tweet read in part.

Updates from the Senior Special Assistant and spokesperson to the governor, along with the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that firefighters from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue fully extinguished the fire before it escalated into a serious incident.

“A Fire erupted from the electrical cable running through the bridge powering the train mobility.  

“The quick intervention of the nearby Sari Iganmu Fire Crew doused the Fire before causing any significant damage,” the X post of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service read in part.

Pictures accompanying the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service’s post on X showed that the fire had been fully extinguished; leaving only blackened soot on the side of the bridge as evidence of the flames.

Meanwhile, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.

What you should know about the Blue Line 

The Lagos Blue Line metro, spanning 27 kilometers, is a key part of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) system.

  • Its first phase, covering 13 kilometers from Marina to Mile 2, was completed and launched for commercial operations in September 2023.
  • Operated by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the line transported 583,000 passengers in its first four months.
  • By September 2024, ridership reached over 1.6 million, reflecting gradual growth, though still below the government’s initial projection of 150,000 daily passengers.
  • The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) recently granted Lagos State a three-year operational license for the Blue Line following nearly three years of assessment of the Blue Line’s infrastructure and operations.
  • Meanwhile, Phase 2 of the Blue Line, which will extend the rail system further to Okokomaiko, is currently under construction by CCECC.
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