By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced the successful recovery of all equipment involved in the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) accident, while reaffirming its commitment to supporting victims, bereaved families and strengthening rail safety across the country.
The Corporation disclosed on Monday, 15 June, 2026 that the incident occurred at about 4:17 p.m. near the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station in Agbor, Delta State, when the train travelling from Itakpe to Ujevwu, Warri, was involved in an accident.
The train had departed Itakpe Station at noon with 442 passengers and 40 operational personnel, including train crew, security operatives, medical personnel, cleaners, caterers and other support staff on board.
Providing an update on the tragedy, NRC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, said the Corporation immediately activated its Emergency Response Plan following the incident, mobilising operational, engineering, medical and security personnel to the scene.
According to him, the emergency operation was carried out in collaboration with the Delta State Government, Kogi State Government, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), medical responders, local authorities and members of neighbouring communities.
Kayode Opeifa
He stated that all passengers were successfully evacuated to nearby hospitals and that every passenger and operational staff member on board had been fully accounted for.
The NRC, however, expressed sadness over the loss of five lives in the accident and extended its condolences to the affected families.
“The Corporation once again extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and continues to stand with them during this difficult period,” Opeifa said.
He further disclosed that all injured passengers admitted to hospitals in Agbor and adjoining communities had received treatment and had been discharged, except for one NRC staff member who sustained serious injuries and remains under specialist medical care.
The Corporation also commended the management and medical teams of General Hospital Owa Oyibu, Owa Alero Hospital and Central Hospital Agbor for their prompt intervention and professionalism in attending to victims.
“Their invaluable support contributed significantly to the successful management of the emergency and recovery of affected persons,” the NRC said.
Meanwhile, as part of ongoing post-incident measures, the Corporation has established a Medical and Victim Support Committee to coordinate engagement with injured passengers, relatives of deceased victims and other affected families.
Chairman of the committee, Dr. Osarunwense Igbinogu, disclosed that members had commenced visits to victims and their families.
According to him, the committee has already visited five injured passengers and the family of one deceased passenger in Agbor, Asaba and Ugbolu, Delta State. He added that the team would proceed to Warri to condole with the families of two other deceased passengers and visit additional injured victims.
Furthermore, the NRC urged passengers, relatives and members of the public seeking information about passengers, lost items, medical follow-up or other enquiries related to the incident to contact the Corporation’s Incident Desk through its dedicated telephone lines.
Callers, the Corporation advised, should provide their names as well as coach and seat numbers where applicable to facilitate prompt assistance.
In addition, the NRC appealed to passengers and the public to provide feedback, observations and recommendations that could assist ongoing investigations and improve future service delivery.
The Corporation noted that the dedicated support lines would be available from Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
On the recovery effort, Opeifa revealed that passenger rescue operations and equipment recovery had been completed successfully, paving the way for the commencement of rail track restoration works by the Corporation’s Civil Engineering and New Lines Engineering teams.
He described the recovery of all four capsized coaches and two derailed coaches from the accident site as a significant milestone in the rehabilitation process.
“This marks a significant milestone in the recovery phase following the successful recovery of all four capsized coaches and the two derailed coaches from the incident site,” he stated.
The NRC boss reiterated the Corporation’s commitment to cooperating fully with investigating authorities, implementing safety recommendations arising from the probe and reinforcing measures aimed at improving the safety, reliability and sustainability of railway transportation nationwide.
The Warri–Itakpe train accident remains one of the most tragic incidents on the corridor in recent years, with investigations into its cause still ongoing.
However, railway authorities insist that lessons from the incident will be deployed to strengthen operational safety and restore public confidence in the nation’s rail transport system.
