The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that a train incident occurred on Monday morning (today) near Asham along the Abuja rail corridor, stressing that no fatalities were recorded.
In a statement signed by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the corporation, Kayode Opeifa, the incident happened at about 10:30 a.m. and involved a rear locomotive and a passenger coach due to a coupling problem.
“The Management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation wishes to confirm that an avoidable train incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. today near Asham, involving a rear locomotive and a passenger coach next to it due to a coupling issue”, the statement said.
According to the NRC, some passengers sustained injuries during the incident but were quickly attended to and taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment.
“Some passengers sustained injuries and were promptly attended to and taken to a nearby medical facility for proper medical care. No fatalities were recorded,” the corporation stated.
The railway operator noted that emergency response procedures were immediately activated, while technical teams were deployed to the scene to manage the situation.
The corporation added that the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is already on ground to carry out a detailed investigation into the occurrence in line with established safety protocols.
Despite the incident, the train was able to continue its journey after the affected components were removed.
“The train arrived Idu station at about 10:39 a.m., 38 minutes behind schedule due to time allowed to remove the incident rear locomotive and coach SP 0006″, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the NRC has also clarified that the incident was not a derailment, contrary to some media reports.
“It has been observed that some media reports have described the incident that occurred earlier today along the Asham axis as a derailment. The Nigerian Railway Corporation wishes to clarify that the incident was not a derailment”, the corporation said.
Explaining further, the NRC noted that in a derailment situation, the wheels of the train leave the track, making it impossible for the train to continue its movement.
“In this case, the train remained on the track and was able to proceed to Idu Station, where passengers safely disembarked”, the statement explained.
The corporation urged the public and the media to rely on verified information and avoid inaccurate descriptions of the incident.
“The Corporation assurest the public that safety remains its top priority, and all necessary measures are being taken to address the situation and ensure the continued safe operation of train services”, Opeifa said.