A fatal train derailment occurred around Jebba, on Saturday, leaving
scores of people dead, and no fewer than 40 others injured.
Though eye witnesses claimed no fewer than 20 people lost teir lives
in the accident, neither could any official of the Nigerian Railway
Corporation (NRC) or the NRC Police Command could confirm the casualty
figure as at press time.
Eye witnesses said the derailment which occurred around 07.30 hours in
the morning on the Lagos-Kano inter-city train service, occurred when
a power coach (which houses the generating set) and two other coaches
detached just as the train was about to climb the Niger Bridge. The
detached coaches fell on its sides.
The fallen coaches according to eye witnesses were said to have fallen
on some passengers, killing them instantly. Others who sustained
various forms of injuries were said to have been rushed to a nearby
general hospital for urgent medicare.
Many of the victims were said to be those who crowded round the
gangway of the train and roof riders who found their way to the roof
of the over-crowded train.
Emergency efforts were said to have been slow in getting to the
victims even as those who survived were at a loss as to when they
would be evacuated by the management of the Nigerian Railway
Corporation from the scene of the accident.
The Deputy Director of the Corporation Mr Abdulrauf Akinwoye confirmed
the incident.
Akinwoye who told our Correspondent that the management is already on
its way to the scene of the accident said the corporation regretted
the accident.
He assured that the Corporation will investigate the cause of the
accident with a view to preventing future re-occurrence.