Nigerian Railway Corporation Suspends Warri-Itakpe Service After Train Derailed, Left 148 Passengers, 30 Crew Members Stranded

The Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has suspended its Warri-Itakpe Train Service due to the derailment of a train plying the route on Sunday.

This was contained in a statement made available to SaharaReporters by Sanni Abdulganiyu, Coordinator of Warri-Itakpe Train Service, on Sunday. He explained that the cause of the derailment had not yet been ascertained by the authorities.

SaharaReporters had reported how the incident which occurred on Sunday forced many passengers to be stranded.

He said, “The Warri Itakpe Train Service WITS 01 derailed at Km 30 Ajaokuta-Itakpe section of the track at about  12:30hrs of Sunday 22nd January 2023.

“Thankfully, there was no fatality and no casualty. We were immediately alerted and security personnel comprising the; Army, Police, NSCDC, and the community vigilante were immediately drafted to the accident point with the assistance of the Local government Chairman.

“All the 148 passengers and 30 crew members were evacuated to a safe place and arrangements were made to convey 148 passengers to their various destinations and they have been successfully conveyed.

“The cause of the derailment is not yet determined. Due to this incident, the service along the corridor has been suspended. Further details would be communicated to members of the public.

“Repair and operation will resume as soon as possible.”

In a related development, SaharaReporters earlier reported that some gunmen kidnapped 20 passengers waiting to board a train at the train station in the Igueben Local Government Area of the Edo state on January 7, 2023.