Four people have been confirmed dead, and 24 others sustained serious injuries after a train along the Warri-Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor derailed near Agbor, Delta State, on Monday.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation, Funsho Adebiyi.
How it happened
The NRC said preliminary reports indicate that four coaches capsized while one coach derailed, resulting in the unfortunate loss of four lives, comprising two adult females, one adult male, and one infant passenger.
The corporation added that a total of 442 passengers were booked on the train, while 40 crew members, security personnel, and third-party service providers were also on board, bringing the total number of persons on the train to 482.
It explained that rescue and evacuation operations were immediately activated with the support of the Delta State Government, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Police, Civil Defence, local authorities, security agencies, and other emergency responders and were completed by 6:30 p.m.
“Injured passengers were evacuated to medical facilities in Agbor for treatment,” it said.
Other notable individuals on board, according to the statement, included the Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ede Dafinone, and former Delta State Secretary to the State Government, Patrick Ukah, among others.
“As of the time of this release, 24 serious injuries have been recorded, while several other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving medical attention.
“One NRC staff member suffered a traumatic limb injury and is currently receiving treatment and is reported to be in stable condition,” the corporation said.
The ministry and the NRC extended their deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed for the quick recovery of all those injured.
The corporation also appreciated the swift intervention of the Delta State Government, emergency responders, security agencies, the NRC Mechanical Directorate, the Special Rescue and Emergency Team, medical personnel, and members of the public who assisted in the rescue efforts.
NRC said the full onboard manifest has been retrieved and will be made available upon request by the relevant authorities.
“Efforts are ongoing to identify all the injured and deceased persons for proper documentation.
“A full investigation into the cause of the accident has commenced, while efforts will continue to account for all passengers and provide the necessary support to those affected,” the statement said.
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The Warri-Itakpe standard gauge rail line, which connects Delta and Kogi states, is one of the country’s major rail corridors and has become popular among passengers travelling between southern and north-central Nigeria.
In May, NRC suspended operations on the WITS, citing “operational exigencies” and technical advice from its engineers.
The suspension at the time came six months after operations resumed on 29 October 2025.
Rail derailments are not new on Nigeria’s railway.
In August 2025, the Abuja-Kaduna train, carrying over 500 passengers bound for Kaduna, derailed.
“A total of 618 persons, comprising 583 passengers, 15 NRC crew members, one medical personnel, eight cleaners, and 11 catering staff, were successfully evacuated from the train.
“Out of this number, seven passengers sustained varying degrees of injury and were immediately transported by ambulances to hospital facilities by medical personnel mobilised to the site,” the NRC said at the time.
