The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has confirmed the derailment of a Warri-Itakpe passenger train near Agbor, Delta State, on Saturday evening, but assured the public that no lives were lost and no passenger sustained injuries.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Managing Director of the NRC, Dr Kayode Opeifa, explained that preliminary investigations indicated that the derailment, which occurred around 7:30 p.m. at Kilometer 212+8m, may have been the result of suspected track vandalism.
According to him, two out of the seven coaches of the Warri–Itakpe Train Service, WITS, were affected by the incident.
“We are pleased to confirm that all passengers on board were safely evacuated to Agbor, and everyone has been fully accounted for. No casualties or injuries were recorded,” Opeifa said.
He added that a recovery team, in collaboration with security agencies, had been deployed to the scene immediately after the incident to commence retrieval and restoration operations.
“The recovery efforts have been ongoing since Saturday night and are progressing steadily. Normal train operations are expected to resume once the track is fully restored,” he assured.
Opeifa reaffirmed the NRC’s commitment to passenger safety and reliable service delivery, emphasizing that the corporation is working closely with security agencies to investigate the suspected act of vandalism and prevent a recurrence.
