Passengers, crew of derailed Warri-Itakpe train evacuated to safety –NRC, Police

 

 

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said the Warri Itakpe Train Service WITS 01 derailed at km 30 Ajaokuta-Itakpe section of the track about  12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

 

The Coordinator of the Warri Itakpe Train Service, Mr Sanni Abdulganiyu,  in a statement, said thankfully there were no  fatality nor casualty as a result of the derailment.

 

Abdulganiyu said the corporation was immediately alerted and security personnel were immediately drafted to the accident scene.

 

”The personnel comprised the Army, Police, NSCDC, and the community vigilante with the assistance of the local government chairman.

 

”All the 148 passengers and 30 crew members were evacuated to a safe place and arrangements were made to convey the passengers to their various destinations.

 

”And the passengers have been successfully conveyed.”

 

On the cause of the derailment, the coordinator said it was yet to be determined.

 

Abdulganiyu said due to the incident, the service along the corridor had been suspended and further details would be communicated to members of the public.

 

According to him, repair and operation will resume as soon as possible.

Also, the Kogi State Police Command, on Sunday, confirmed that all the passengers of the train have been safely evacuated.

 

The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Akeem Yusuf, made this known in Lokoja.

 

The train reportedly derailed in Kogi forest between Ajaokuta and Itakpe towns, forcing the passengers to be stranded.

 

It was said to have left Warri early morning of Sunday but got derailed around 12 p.m inside the forest, a situation which reportedly instilled fear in the passengers.

 

But Yusuf said: “When we got the destress call, I immediately dispatched a team of rescue team that rushed to the forest to give them cover.

 

“We didn’t take the report with laxity but ensured that the passengers and the train crew got the desired security cover.

 

“Our plans were to ensure no criminal element take advantage of the situation to do anything funny and God helping us, nothing funny happened.

 

“I can boldly tell you that all the passengers have been evacuated to safety without any cause for alarm,” he said.

 

Yusuf said that what was left at the scene were the wagons of the train, but all the passengers were made to proceed with their journey without any hindrance.

 

The police boss commended his officers and men that successfully conducted the rescue operations alongside other security operatives in the state.