ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) and the Federal Ministry of Transportation, has confirmed that four passengers lost their lives and 24 others sustained severe injuries following a horrific train derailment along the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) corridor on Monday, June 8, 2026.
The catastrophic incident occurred near Agbor, Delta State, when four coaches of the train completely capsized and an additional coach veered off the standard-gauge rail tracks.
According to an official statement released on Tuesday morning by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Funsho Adebiyi, a total of 482 individuals were on board the ill-fated train. This included 442 ticketed passengers alongside 40 crew members, security personnel, and third-party service providers.
High-Profile Passengers Among Survivors
The NRC revealed that the passenger manifest included several high-profile political figures who managed to escape the wreckage. Among them were Senator Ede Dafinone, currently representing Delta Central Senatorial District, and Hon. Patrick Ukah, the former Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG).
While the dignitaries survived the ordeal, the fatality list highlighted the heartbreaking toll of the crash. The four deceased victims have been identified as two adult females, one adult male, and an infant passenger.
Swift Emergency Mobilization
Following the derailment, a massive multi-agency rescue effort was activated. First responders from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) joined forces with local authorities and the Delta State Government.
”Rescue and evacuation operations were immediately activated and were successfully completed by 6:30 p.m. on Monday,” the statement read.
The 24 seriously injured passengers were rushed to various medical facilities within Agbor for emergency clinical treatment. Additionally, a member of the NRC staff suffered a traumatic limb injury during the crash; authorities report that the worker is currently hospitalized in stable condition.
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has expressed his deep condolences to the families of the victims. He described the incident as a profound tragedy and affirmed that the state government is actively coordinating with hospital staff to ensure survivors receive adequate medical attention.
Investigation Launched Amid Safety Concerns
The Federal Government has confirmed that a full-scale technical investigation has commenced to determine the precise cause of the derailment. In the meantime, track clearance teams have been deployed to the site to remove the overturned wreckage and assess the integrity of the line.
The recovery team has successfully retrieved the train’s full passenger manifest to aid ongoing identification and documentation procedures.
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The Warri–Itakpe rail corridor serves as a vital economic and transit artery, connecting dozens of communities across Delta, Edo, and Kogi states. However, this fatal crash adds to a troubling history of operational setbacks on the standard-gauge line, which has previously faced temporary suspensions for infrastructure maintenance, engineering checks, and technical breakdowns.
