By Ayo Kehinde
Several passengers were injured on Monday morning after a rear locomotive struck a passenger coach on the Abuja–Kaduna rail line near Asham Train Station due to a coupling issue, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the corporation, Kayode Opeifa, said the incident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. when the locomotive made contact with the coach immediately behind it.
Opeifa disclosed that several passengers sustained injuries during the incident and were promptly attended to before being transported to nearby medical facilities for proper treatment, noting that no fatalities were recorded.
According to him, the corporation immediately activated its emergency response protocols while technical teams were mobilised to the scene to stabilise the situation and restore normal operations on the corridor.
He added that officials of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) were also deployed to the site to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident in line with established safety procedures.
The NRC boss further revealed that the train later arrived at Idu Train Station in Abuja at approximately 10:39 a.m., about 38 minutes behind schedule, after time was allowed to detach the affected locomotive and coach to enable the journey to continue safely.
The corporation reassured passengers and the general public that safety remains its top priority, stressing that all necessary measures are being taken to address the situation and ensure the continued safe operation of train services across the country.
It added that further updates would be provided as more information emerges from the ongoing investigation.
