The Federal Government has confirmed the death of four persons and injuries to 24 others following a train accident along the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor near Agbor in Delta State.
The confirmation was contained in a statement issued by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) through the Federal Ministry of Transportation and signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Funsho Adebiyi.
According to preliminary findings, four coaches of the train capsized while another coach derailed during the incident, which occurred on Monday along the busy rail corridor.
The statement revealed that 442 passengers had booked the train, while 40 crew members, security personnel and third-party service providers were also on board, bringing the total number of persons on the train to 482.
It further stated that rescue and evacuation operations were immediately activated with support from the Delta State Government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police, civil defence and other emergency responders, with injured passengers taken to medical facilities in Agbor. The ministry also noted that 24 persons sustained serious injuries, while others suffered varying degrees of harm, and that a staff member of the NRC sustained a traumatic limb injury but is in stable condition.
The ministry expressed condolences to the families of the victims and confirmed that a full investigation has commenced into the cause of the derailment. It added that the passenger manifest has been retrieved for identification purposes, while efforts continue to account for all passengers and support those affected, with Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori also directing state-level coordination of rescue efforts and extending condolences to the bereaved families.
Elijah Adeyemi
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