The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has confirmed that four people lost their lives and 24 others sustained serious injuries following a train accident involving the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) near Agbor, Delta State, on Monday.
In a statement issued through the Federal Ministry of Transportation on Tuesday, the NRC disclosed that four coaches capsized while one coach derailed along the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor, resulting in fatalities and multiple injuries.
According to the corporation, the train was carrying 482 people, including 442 passengers and 40 crew members, security personnel, and service providers.
The victims comprised two adult women, one adult man, and an infant. In addition to the fatalities, 24 passengers suffered serious injuries, while several others sustained varying degrees of trauma.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation regrets to confirm that a serious train accident occurred along the Warri–Itakpe Train Service corridor near Agbor, Delta State,” the statement said.
Emergency response teams, including officials from the Delta State Government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were immediately deployed to the scene.
The NRC said rescue and evacuation operations were completed on the same day, with injured passengers transferred to hospitals in Agbor for treatment.
Among those on board were Senator Ede Dafinone, representing Delta Central Senatorial District, and former Secretary to the Delta State Government, Patrick Ukah. The corporation also confirmed that one NRC employee sustained a traumatic limb injury and is currently in stable condition.
The passenger manifest has been recovered, while efforts to document victims and support affected families are ongoing.
The corporation announced that a full-scale investigation has commenced to determine the cause of the accident and pledged continued assistance to victims and their families. It also commended emergency responders for their swift intervention.
The latest incident adds to a series of disruptions that have affected the Warri–Itakpe rail line in recent years.
In May 2026, the NRC suspended services on the route for safety and operational assessments. The corridor also experienced multiple service interruptions in 2025 due to technical faults and engine failures, while a derailment near Ujevwu in July 2024 forced a temporary suspension of operations, though no casualties were recorded at the time.
Railway safety remains a major concern nationwide. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that derailments were the most common rail-related incidents in Nigeria between 2020 and 2022, with 183 cases recorded. Other incidents included locomotive failures, train detachments, collisions, and washouts.
Industry experts have also identified vandalism, rail track theft, and sabotage of signalling equipment as major threats to the safety and efficiency of the country’s rail network.
The NRC said further details on the Agbor accident will be released as investigations progress.
