(Warri–Itakpe Train. Photo by facebook/thecable)
The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Kayode Opeifa, has confirmed that the death toll from the Warri–Itakpe train derailment has risen to five.
Opeifa, who confirmed the update on Tuesday, said emergency responders were swiftly deployed to the scene following the accident, with injured passengers evacuated to nearby medical facilities for treatment.
He added that investigations into the cause of the derailment are ongoing and that relevant technical teams have been mobilised to determine the factors that led to the incident.
The NRC boss assured that safety assessments are being intensified across the rail network to prevent a recurrence, and that authorities are working to support affected families while efforts continue to restore normal operations along the corridor.
The derailment occurred on Monday along the Warri–Itakpe rail line, one of Nigeria’s major standard gauge routes serving both passenger and freight movement across multiple states.