The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed the derailment of four coaches on the Warri-Itakpe Train Service, prompting the immediate deployment of emergency response teams to the scene.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, said relevant authorities and emergency personnel were already on ground managing the situation and providing necessary assistance to passengers.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation confirms that an incident involving the Warri-Itakpe Train Service occurred today. Emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance,” the statement read.
Opeifa explained that four coaches of the train left the rail track during the journey, an occurrence officially referred to in railway operations as a derailment.
He assured the public that the corporation was closely monitoring developments and would provide additional information as investigations and rescue efforts progress.
The NRC urged passengers, their families, and members of the public to remain calm and rely only on official communication channels for verified updates regarding the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the corporation had not disclosed the cause of the derailment or confirmed whether there were any casualties or injuries.
The Warri-Itakpe rail corridor, one of Nigeria’s busiest standard-gauge routes, connects communities across Delta, Edo, and Kogi states and serves thousands of passengers travelling between the southern and central parts of the country.
Authorities are expected to release further details as efforts continue to assess the extent of the incident and restore normal operations on the route.