The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed a train derailment on the Warri-Itakpe route, which occurred on Sunday night at Okpara Station in the Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State.
The incident, which happened around 10 p.m., left passengers stranded overnight.
Eyewitnesses reported that some passengers did not reach their destinations until Monday morning and according to a source, “The incident happened at Okpara Station last night. Many passengers had their phones and valuables stolen while they slept.”
The NRC addressed the situation in a statement issued by its spokesman, Yakub Mahmood.
Mahmood assured the public that services would resume shortly, as engineers were already on-site working to restore the track.
According to him “The management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) hereby informs the general public, especially our valued passengers on the Warri-Itakpe route, that following the minor derailment yesterday at Okpara Station, services will resume shortly. Our team of engineers is at the site to restore the track as soon as possible”.
He announced that the Itakpe-Warri (Ujewu) train service would resume as scheduled by Monday afternoon, and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the incident.
The derailment has raised concerns among passengers about safety and security on the route, following reports of theft during the disruption.
