The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Sunday said 21 passengers are still missing seven days after the Kaduna-bound speed train attack.
This is also as it said 172 passengers who were also in the said train have been reunited with their families.
The Corporation’s Managing Director First Okhiria made this known in the latest, (i.e. fourth statement) issued yesterday, since the incident took place on Monday, March 28, 2022. He said the corporation is cooperating with all security agencies to ensure that all missing passengers are reunited with their families and the tracks made safe for its operations.
“The Corporation also confirms that a total of 172 Passengers onboard the AK9 are safe and okay while 21 Passengers are still reported missing. Let us assure our esteemed passengers and the general public that the Corporation in collaboration with other security agencies will leave no stone unturned in our efforts at rescuing the missing persons,” he said.
According to Okhiria, four coaches out of the 11 Involved in the incident have been recovered, while work is ongoing on track repairs, bringing the total number of coaches recovered in the incident to seven,.
He said: “At the end of work on Saturday (02/04/2022), the NRC’s restoration team had further recovered four (4) more Coaches and two (2) of the Coaches (SP 00007 and SP 00013) and have been safely taken to Idu and Rigasa Stations respectively. The other two Coaches are still at the site due to damaged tracks. This brings the total Coaches recovered to seven, but only five successfully moved to the Stations.”
Okhiria, who disclosed that efforts are on to link the tracks, explained that at the moment, a total of 80 metres of the affected sections have been fixed, including affected sleepers and twisted rails.
The corporation, he said, condoles with those who lost loved ones and prayed for the repose of the lost souls. “We equally sincerely sympathise and empathise with our injured passengers and indeed everyone on board the AK9 train of Monday 28th March, 2022 for the trauma this unfortunate incident has caused them,” he added.
Okhiria thanked all security agencies for their support and corporation and especially thanked the Inspector-General of Police Usman Baba for his visit of the site of the incident on Saturday, a development he said had greatly boosted the morale of the corporation.
