By Sarah NEGEDU
A passenger train travelling from Abuja to Kaduna derailed on Tuesday morning, triggering panic among passengers and their loved ones.
It was gathered that the incident occurred along the Kaduna corridor shortly after the train departed Abuja around 11 a.m., en route Kaduna.
A passenger on board the train described the scene as chaotic, with people scrambling to safety in fear and confusion.
It remained unclear what caused the derailment, and there has been no official confirmation of injuries or casualties.
Security sources report that military personnel have been deployed to the site to assist in evacuating stranded passengers.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation is yet to comment on the development.
In a related development, the corporation announced that operations on the Warri-Itakpe train corridor will resume soon, following a temporary suspension due to critical track repairs.
In a statement by the Chief Public Relations Officer of the NRC, Callistus Unyimadu, the corporation confirmed that the repair work has reached an advanced stage, and full train services are expected to resume “in the shortest possible time.”
The NRC had suspended train services on the Warri-Itakpe route in April due to a fault detected by engineers that persisted despite initial attempts to rectify it.
Following experts’ suggestions, the train operations on the route were halted to carry out urgent maintenance aimed at ensuring the safety, reliability, and comfort of passengers.
