The Federal Government has confirmed that four persons lost their lives while 24 others sustained serious injuries in Monday’s train derailment along the Warri-Itakpe rail corridor near Agbor in Delta State.
The confirmation was made in a statement issued by the Federal Ministry of Transportation through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Funsho Adebiyi.
According to the statement, preliminary investigations revealed that four coaches of the train capsized while another coach derailed, leading to the casualties.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation regrets to confirm that a serious train accident occurred along the Warri-Itakpe Train Service corridor near Agbor, Delta State,” the statement said.
It disclosed that the deceased comprised two adult women, one adult man and an infant.
The ministry stated that a total of 482 persons were on board the train at the time of the accident, including 442 passengers and 40 crew members, security personnel and third-party service providers.
Emergency response teams were immediately mobilised to the scene following the incident. The rescue operation involved the Delta State Government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), local authorities and other emergency responders.
Authorities said the evacuation exercise was completed by 6:30 p.m., with injured passengers transported to medical facilities in Agbor for treatment.
Among the passengers on board were Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator , and former Delta State Secretary to the State Government, .
The ministry disclosed that, in addition to the 24 passengers who sustained serious injuries, several others suffered varying degrees of injuries and are receiving medical attention.
It also revealed that one NRC staff member suffered a traumatic limb injury and remains in stable condition while receiving treatment.
The Federal Government expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The statement further commended the swift response of emergency agencies, medical personnel, railway workers and members of the public who participated in the rescue operation.
According to the ministry, the train’s passenger manifest has been recovered to facilitate the identification of victims and proper documentation of those affected.
It added that a full-scale investigation has commenced to determine the cause of the accident, while efforts continue to account for all passengers and provide support to survivors and their families.
The accident occurred on Monday when several coaches of the Warri-Itakpe Train Service left the tracks near Agbor, prompting an emergency response from government agencies and security operatives.
Following the incident, Delta State Governor, , expressed condolences to the families of the victims and directed state officials to support rescue and medical operations. He described the derailment as tragic and assured survivors of the state government’s assistance.