A fire broke out on the tracks of the Lagos Blue Line along the Eko (train) flyover, inside Apongbon, Ijora Olopa, on Saturday at around 4:12 p.m., sparked by an electrical cable supplying power to the rail system.

Videos circulating online showed flames on the bridge, although no trains were running at the time.

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

“A fire broke out on a small section of the Lagos Blue Line track, at a location opposite NEPA Station, near Eko Bridge, towards Apogbon. The events occurred at 4:12 p.m.

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

Updates from the Senior Special Assistant and Spokesperson to the Governor, as well as the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that firefighters from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station of the fire department The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service completely extinguished the fire before it escalated into a serious incident.

“A fire broke out due to the electrical cable crossing the bridge and supplying power to the mobility train.

“The rapid intervention of firefighters from nearby Sari Iganmu extinguished the fire before causing significant damage,” ” reads part of message X from the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.

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

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

What you need to know about the Blue Line

The 27 kilometer Lagos Metro Blue Line is a key component 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 China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), the line carried 583,000 passengers in its first four months.

By September 2024, ridership reached more than 1.6 million, reflecting gradual growth, although still below the government’s initial projection of 150,000 daily passengers.

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) recently granted Lagos State a three-year operating license for the Blue Line, after almost three years of evaluating the infrastructure and operations of the Blue Line.

Meanwhile, Phase 2 of the Blue Line, which will extend the rail system to Okokomaiko, is currently under construction by the CCECC.

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