The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has provided a detailed account of the train accident involving passengers travelling from Kaduna to Abuja on Monday.

Opeifa was a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“At about 9:16 am, probably, there was a detachment of the attached engine, and it hit the power car, the one supplying electricity to the train, and that hit the lands coach SP-006 that was attached to it. That caused a shutdown,” Opeifa said on Tuesday’s edition of the breakfast show.

The NRC chief said there was one engine and “our protocol requires two engines, so we had to move the back of the engine to go and station ahead of the train for its movement to Abuja.

“When the train got to Ojere, the back of the engine was attached, and the train continued its movement towards Asham on its way to Idu,” he explained

Twenty-six people were injured following the incident, but the train continued its journey 30 minutes later.

“The 30 minutes were meant to remove the accidented train engine, that is the locomotive, and passengers were moved into the other five coaches at Kubwa, which was the next stop.

“The seriously injured or those who needed immediate medical attention were disembarked and taken to a hospital in Kubwa, while the rest of the passengers and some others injured were taken to Idu,” the NRC said.

Recurring Incidents

Nigeria’s rail system has witnessed recurring accidents, especially along the Abuja-Kaduna corridor. That prompted the Senate to initiate a nationwide probe into the country’s rail system.

The probe, which will include a public hearing, aims to uncover the root causes of recurring derailments and assess the condition of rail infrastructure, as well as the imported materials used in the sector. (Channels)