Abuja–Kaduna passenger train which plies the Abuja-Kaduna experienced a loud explosion on Monday derailed after it collided with another train causing it to suddenly jolt to a halt and injuring several passengers as the impact threw occupants off balance and sparked panic inside the coaches though there is no recorded of any death at the time of publication.
Eyewitness said the incident occurred mid-journey when a loud bang was heard, forcing the train to stop abruptly and flinging some passengers across their seats and onto the floor.
According to passengers onboard, several people sustained injuries, with some bleeding and others suffering severe wounds from the sudden impact.
The collision was confirmed by the Managing Director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa on Monday.
According to him, the train encountered an incident near Asham.
He explained that no person had died while filing the report; however, the injured passengers had been brought back to Idu train station for necessary medical attention.
Opeifa said NRC is currently carrying out an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.
“It is confirmed that our Abuja-Kaduna train had an incident at Asham. Passengers were injured while an investigation is ongoing into the exact cause of the incident,” he said.
The train remained stationary for about 30 minutes before resuming its journey toward the Kubwa area of Abuja.
Passengers also complained that there was no immediate communication from the Nigerian Railway Corporation regarding the cause of the explosion or the condition of affected passengers.
The Abuja–Kaduna Railway corridor is one of the country’s busiest rail routes, used daily by hundreds of commuters travelling between the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna State.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation had yet to release a statement explaining the incident or confirming the number of injured passengers.
Details later…
