The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced that the number of passengers injured in the August 26 Abuja–Kaduna train derailment has risen to 20, with nine in critical condition.
The Corporation had earlier reported only seven casualties but confirmed the updated figure in a statement personally signed on Wednesday by its Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa.
“The NRC wishes to inform the general public of the progress made in passenger tracing, treatment of the injured, recovery of rolling stock, and restoration of tracks following the derailment incident between Kubwa and Asham stations,” the statement read.
According to the Corporation, 618 people were on board the train, comprising 583 passengers, 15 NRC crew members, one medical officer, eight cleaners, and 11 catering staff.
All were safely evacuated, but investigations by the NRC’s medical team revealed more injuries than initially reported.
So far, engineers have successfully recovered one locomotive and four coaches (out of two locomotives and eight DMU coaches), which have been transferred to Idu Station for technical assessment using a newly constructed 100-metre diversion track. Preparations are now underway to deploy heavy equipment to recover the remaining coaches and the second locomotive.
The NRC said it has reached 510 out of the 583 passengers listed on the manifest and has set up an Incident Desk with dedicated hotlines for enquiries and updates:
Queen – 0703 645 2228, Lilian – 0703 199 3211, Abubakar – 0803 659 3212
Opeifa expressed gratitude to the security agencies for securing the site and ensuring a smooth recovery operation.
He also commended the media for its support and acknowledged the visit of the Minister of Transportation, Senator Saidu Ahmed Alkali, who personally inspected the site and lauded NRC’s recovery efforts.
The Corporation reassured Nigerians that passenger safety and service reliability remain its top priorities, stressing that every effort is being made to restore full operations as quickly as possible while providing care and assistance to those affected.
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