NRC Recovers All Equipment After Warri-Itakpe Train Derailment, Confirms Five Fatalities

The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced the full recovery of all equipment involved in the June 8 derailment of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service, and confirmed that every passenger and crew member on board has been accounted for.

In a statement issued on Monday, the corporation disclosed that the train departed Itakpe Station at noon en route to Ujevwu, Warri, and was involved in the incident at about 4:17 p.m. near Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station in Agbor, Delta State. There were 442 passengers and 40 operational personnel on board, including train crew, security officers, medical staff, cleaners, caterers and other support workers.

The NRC said it immediately activated its Emergency Response Plan and deployed operational, engineering, medical and security teams to the scene. Working with the Delta and Kogi state governments, the National Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, medical responders and surrounding communities, all passengers were evacuated to nearby hospitals.

Five people lost their lives in the incident, while several others sustained varying degrees of injury. The corporation extended its condolences to the families of the deceased.

Providing an update on the injured, the NRC said all passengers admitted to hospitals in Agbor and neighbouring communities had been treated and discharged, with the exception of one staff member who remains under specialist medical care.

The corporation praised the management and medical personnel of General Hospital Owa Oyibu, Owa Alero Hospital and Central Hospital Agbor for their prompt and professional response to the emergency.

An internal Medical and Victim Support Committee, chaired by Dr Osarunwense Igbinogu, has been set up to coordinate engagement with the injured and the families of the deceased. The committee has already visited five injured passengers and one bereaved family in Agbor, Asaba and Ugbolu in Delta State, and is scheduled to visit families of two other deceased passengers in Warri as well as additional injured passengers.

The NRC urged members of the public seeking information about those involved in the incident to contact its Incident Desk through dedicated telephone lines set up for passenger enquiries, lost-and-found items and medical follow-up. It also invited feedback and recommendations that could assist ongoing investigations and service improvements.

With rescue operations and equipment recovery completed, NRC civil engineering and new lines engineers have begun track restoration work. All four capsized coaches and two derailed coaches have been successfully recovered from the site.

The corporation reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with relevant authorities, implementing safety recommendations that emerge from investigations, and strengthening measures to ensure safe, reliable and sustainable railway operations across the country.

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau has commenced an investigation into the cause of the derailment and said critical evidence had been retrieved from the scene and key on-site investigative activities completed.