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No Death But 4 Seriously Injured - NRC Says As Abuja-Kaduna Train Derail
https://osazuwaakonedo.news/no-death-but-4-seriously-injured-nrc-says-as-abuja-kaduna-train-derail/27/08/2025/
#Issues #Asham #NRC ©August 27th, 2025 ®August 27, 2025 10:14 pm Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC says it has directed the third party ticketing company to refund the money paid by all 583 passengers onboard the Abuja-Kaduna Train that derailed at Asham community in Kaduna State on Tuesday, saying, although no death casualty was recorded but 4 out of the 7 persons that sustained injuries were serious while two of them were discharged immediately at the Hospital. #OsazuwaAkonedo
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0:00
Nigerian Railway Corporation NRC says it
0:03
has directed the third-party ticketing
0:05
company to refund the money paid by all
0:08
583 passengers on board the Abuja Kaduna
0:12
train that derailed at Asham community
0:14
in Kaduna State on Tuesday, saying
0:17
although no death casualty was recorded,
0:19
but four out of the seven persons that
0:21
sustained injuries were serious while
0:23
two of them were discharged immediately
0:25
at the hospital. NRC in a statement on
0:29
Tuesday said following the derailment of
0:32
the Kaduna bound Abuja Kaduna train
0:34
service earlier today at Asham Kaduna
0:37
state the Nigerian Railway Corporation
0:40
NRC wishes to provide an update on the
0:43
situation. A total of 618 persons
0:47
comprising 583 passengers, 15 NRC crew
0:51
members, one medical personnel, eight
0:54
cleaners, and 11 catering staff were
0:56
successfully evacuated from the train.
0:59
Out of this number, seven passengers
1:01
sustained varying degrees of injury and
1:03
were immediately transported by
1:05
ambulances to hospital facilities by
1:07
medical personnel mobilized to the site.
1:10
The remaining passengers were conveyed
1:12
safely back to Idu and Kubwa stations
1:14
aboard a rescue train dispatched from
1:16
Idu for that purpose. All have since
1:19
returned safely to their destinations.
1:22
In line with our commitment to passenger
1:24
welfare, our third party ticketing
1:26
company has been directed to immediately
1:29
issue refunds to all passengers on board
1:31
the affected service. Furthermore, the
1:34
process of investigation into the
1:36
incident has commenced under the
1:38
supervision of relevant authorities and
1:40
the Federal Ministry of Transportation.
1:43
Meanwhile, all Abuja Kaduna train
1:45
services AKTS have been temporarily
1:48
suspended pending recovery of the site,
1:51
further clearance and official
1:53
announcement of service resumption. We
1:56
sincerely regret the inconvenience
1:58
caused and thank our esteemed passengers
2:00
and the general public for their
2:02
understanding. The Nigerian Railway
2:04
Corporation NRC stated in a press
2:07
release signed by its managing director
2:09
Kiyod Opa. NRC had earlier in a
2:13
statement on Tuesday said that the train
2:15
derailed around 11:00 a.m. at Asham
2:17
community in Kaduna State. Videos made
2:20
available online by victims of the train
2:23
accident indicated that some of the
2:24
train coaches overturned as passengers
2:27
and crew members on board stood at the
2:29
hilling part of the bush waiting for
2:30
rescue. Close observers said that the
2:33
latest train accident adds to the
2:35
troubled history of the Kaduna Abuja
2:37
rail line, which has experienced several
2:40
incidents in recent years, including the
2:42
deadly bandits attack in March 2022 that
2:45
led to the killing of some of the
2:47
passengers on board the train with many
2:49
of them also kidnapped and held hostage
2:51
for months till ransom was paid. The
2:54
latest derailment comes just a week
2:56
after the Nigerian Railway Corporation,
2:59
NRC, reported another fault on the same
3:02
corridor when one of the trains coach
3:04
wheels developed a hot axle near Rigasa
3:06
station in Kaduna. The NRC explained
3:10
that the fault caused by excessive heat
3:12
was quickly managed and the train was
3:14
returned safely to Kaduna. In a
3:17
statement issued on August 21st, 2025,
3:20
the NRC had said the Nigerian Railway
3:24
Corporation has confirmed that one of
3:26
the coaches wheel on the Abuja Kaduna
3:28
train service AKTS experienced hot axle
3:32
some kilometers to Rigasa station in
3:34
Kaduna. The incident which happened on
3:37
Wednesday evening is due to hot wheels
3:39
friction as a result of abnormal
3:41
temperature due to excessive heat on the
3:43
journal housing. However, the situation
3:46
was immediately brought under control
3:48
and the train marshaled to Kaduna and to
3:51
safety. Consequent upon this incident,
3:54
the train service will experience some
3:56
capacity issues which may affect some
3:58
customers booked on the business class.
4:01
Passengers who were booked on the
4:02
affected coach for Thursday have all
4:05
been contacted through the details they
4:07
provided online. We have also made
4:10
alternative arrangements to accommodate
4:12
them. The management is working to
4:14
ensure the disruption is minimal and
4:16
that normal service would resume before
4:18
the afternoon services. We assure all
4:21
our customers and passengers of their
4:23
safety on our train services as we are
4:26
determined to continue to provide the
4:28
best travel experience on all our train
4:30
networks. We apologize and regret all
4:33
the inconvenience. NRC stated in a
4:36
statement signed and made available by
4:38
chief public relations officer of the
4:40
railway corporation callusimadu.
4:44
Punch newspaper reported on Wednesday
4:46
that while the managing director of the
4:48
Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kyod Opaf,
4:51
was speaking during an appearance on
4:53
channels televisions the morning brief,
4:55
Ope for assured Nigerians that the
4:57
ongoing investigation into the incident
4:59
would be thorough and transparent.
5:02
Beyond apologizing to Nigerians, I want
5:05
to state clearly as the managing
5:07
director and chief executive, I take
5:09
full responsibility.
5:11
When it comes to safety, there is no
5:13
room for indifference. Once something
5:16
like this happens, the chief executive
5:18
must own it. And I do, he said. The MD
5:22
said the injuries of four of the Abuja
5:24
Kaduna train passengers were serious.
5:27
Ape stated, coming to the fatality and
5:30
the casualties, there was no fatality.
5:33
We thank God that was a near miss
5:36
because for this kind of accident or
5:38
incident you see some level of fatality
5:40
but we thank God for this and for those
5:43
who were injured for a serious and
5:46
another two or so were discharged
5:47
immediately and we will follow up on
5:49
those that might still be in the
5:51
hospital. I don't know as of this moment
5:54
we'll follow up. So, we'll also follow
5:57
up with the remaining 618 people on the
6:00
train because of the post-traumatic
6:02
experience. We have the full contacts
6:04
and we'll do that. He however said that
6:08
though the incident should not have
6:09
happened, the NRC would ensure that
6:12
there was no recurrence. I want to
6:14
assure Nigerians that an incident like
6:16
this is not expected, is not prayed for,
6:19
should not be happening, but where it
6:21
does, it is to bring out the best in us.
6:24
And I assure Nigerians that just as we
6:27
are doing currently on the warrior tac
6:28
pay which he the analyst also mentioned
6:32
we shut down the warrior tac pay route 3
6:34
weeks ago. I ordered the shutdown for
6:37
safety reasons and if you see the level
6:39
of work the men have been doing on the
6:41
track cutting it off and replacing it is
6:43
to make sure things like this don't
6:45
happen. He added asked whether there was
6:48
any suspicion around sabotage regarding
6:51
the incident. OPE said it would be
6:54
premature for me to speak on that
6:55
because that will be undermining the
6:57
authority that is meant to do the
6:59
investigation
7:00
but I want to assure Nigerians that our
7:03
tracks are safe from vandals and
7:04
terrorists. This particular track is
7:07
being monitored by the military. You can
7:09
see that immediately it the derailment
7:12
happened within 5 10 minutes the
7:15
helicopter was there hovering. The
7:18
Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Army
7:20
are all along this corridor. And I think
7:23
for the record, we've not had any issue
7:25
of banditry terrorism attack along that
7:28
corridor. But you can't wish anything
7:30
away. The investigation will tell us
7:33
what happened and I wouldn't want to
7:35
comment because I'm a party to the
7:37
investigation.
7:38
The NRC chief executive said that NSIB
7:42
would have to declare the site open for
7:43
reconstruction before the corporation
7:46
would do a safety audit to determine
7:47
when services on the route would be
7:49
reopened. The first thing that will
7:52
happen is that the NSIB will determine
7:54
when the site is open for
7:56
reconstruction.
7:58
So from the time they tell us that it's
8:00
ready for reconstruction, I don't see us
8:02
spending more than 30 days. So it
8:05
depends on when they declare the site
8:08
open for reconstruction. OPE stated the
8:11
incident occurred on Tuesday along the
8:13
Kaduna corridor shortly after the train
8:15
left Abuja at about 11:00 a.m. on route
8:18
to Kaduna. A passenger on board the
8:21
train described the scene as chaotic
8:23
with people scrambling to safety.
8:26
Following the incident, the NRC
8:28
suspended train operations on the Abuja
8:30
Kaduna route till further notice. OPE
8:34
had while briefing journalists in Abuja
8:36
on Tuesday, hours after the incident
8:39
said that some technical staff of the
8:41
corporation alongside the Nigeria Safety
8:44
Investigation Bureau, NSIB, and other
8:47
relevant agencies were on the ground
8:49
that the train derailment site carrying
8:51
out an investigation. He also dismissed
8:54
claims that the trains were not in good
8:57
condition and said the refund of the
8:58
ticket fees had been initiated for all
9:01
passengers on board. In January 2023, an
9:05
Abuja Kaduna train derailed in the Kuba
9:08
area of the Federal Capital Territory
9:10
FCT a few minutes from its destination.
9:19
bringing you the news in a more digital
9:22
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