Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced that all passengers injured in the June 8 train accident along the Warri-Itakpe rail corridor have been treated and discharged from hospital, while recovery of all affected equipment has been completed.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, noting that only one railway employee who sustained severe injuries remains under specialist medical care.
The accident occurred at about 4:17 p.m. near the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station in Agbor, Delta State, when four coaches of the train derailed and overturned.
The train was travelling from Itakpe to Ujevwu in Warri with 442 passengers and 40 operational personnel on board.
Five people lost their lives in the incident, while several others sustained injuries and were taken to hospitals in Agbor and neighbouring communities for treatment.
According to Opeifa, all passengers and railway personnel aboard the train have been accounted for.
He expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased and assured them of the corporation’s continued support.
He also commended the management and medical teams of General Hospital Owa Oyibu, Owa Alero Hospital and Central Hospital, Agbor, for their response to the emergency.
“Their invaluable support contributed significantly to the successful management of the emergency and recovery of the affected persons,” he said.
Opeifa disclosed that the corporation had established a medical and victim support committee to coordinate assistance for injured passengers and families of those who died in the crash.
“The committee has so far visited five injured passengers and the family of one deceased passenger in Agbor, Asaba, and Ugbolu, Delta State, and will proceed to Warri to condole with the families of two other deceased passengers, as well as additional injured passengers,” he said.
With rescue efforts and equipment recovery concluded, the NRC said its engineering teams had commenced work to restore the damaged rail infrastructure.
“Meanwhile, with passenger rescue operations and equipment recovery successfully completed, the NRC’s Civil Engineering and New Lines Engineers have commenced rail track restoration works,” Opeifa stated.
He added that the corporation would continue to cooperate with relevant authorities, implement recommendations arising from investigations and strengthen safety measures across the railway network.
