The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Tuesday confirmed a train accident along the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor near Agbor in Delta State, resulting in the death of four passengers and injuries to eight others.
The incident occurred at the Owa-Oyibu axis in Ika North East Local Government Area around 4:30pm.
In a statement, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, said rescue and emergency response teams had been deployed to the scene to assist victims and assess the extent of the damage.
He said relevant authorities were working to determine the cause of the derailment, adding that further details would be made available as investigations progress.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edem Charles, confirmed that a total of 406 passengers were onboard the train at the time of the accident.
He said the accident involved one locomotive engine and three coaches, adding that the derailment of one of the coaches led to the train losing control.
According to him, “The accident occurred around 4:30pm within the Owa-Oyibu corridor in Ika North East LGA.
“The train is a commercial train carrying 406 passengers. The derailment of one coach led to the train losing control.
“Out of the 406 passengers, eight persons were injured and four persons died—two males and two females. The injured persons were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment while the bodies of the deceased were deposited at the morgue.”
He added that investigations had commenced to determine the cause of the derailment.
Emergency officials are still at the scene as efforts continue to ensure safety and restore normal operations along the rail corridor.
