A passenger train travelling from Itakpe to Warri on Monday, derailed along the Agbor axis of Delta State, leaving three passengers dead with several others severely injured.
According to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), emergency response teams and relevant authorities were immediately mobilised to the scene to provide assistance to passengers and manage the situation.
In a statement signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, the corporation said it was closely monitoring developments and would provide further details as investigations progress.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation confirms that an incident involving the Warri–Itakpe Train Service occurred today. Emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance,” the statement said.
The corporation added that a comprehensive statement would be released after preliminary assessments of the incident are completed.
The latest derailment comes less than a month after the NRC temporarily suspended operations on the Warri–Itakpe corridor, citing operational exigencies and technical recommendations from its engineers.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency has activated its emergency response mechanism in response to Monday’s incident.
NEMA disclosed that its Director-General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, immediately deployed the agency’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) after receiving reports of the derailment.
According to the agency, Umar has also been in contact with NRC Managing Director Kayode Opeifa and assured the corporation of NEMA’s full support during the rescue and recovery operations.
In a statement, NEMA said its response team was working closely with the NRC, security agencies and other stakeholders to provide assistance to affected passengers and ensure their safety.
“The agency’s response team is collaborating with the NRC, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to provide necessary assistance to passengers, ensure their safety and support ongoing operations,” the statement said.
Rescue efforts continued on Monday as officials worked to account for passengers, provide medical support to the injured and determine the circumstances that led to the derailment.
