Several passengers were severely injured after a train travelling from Kaduna to Abuja derailed on Monday morning.

One of the passengers, Sada Malumfashi, on X, said the train jolted to a stop and resumed to Kubwa 30 minutes after the incident. He accused railway officials of failure to communicate with passengers.

“Just dropped from the Kaduna-Abuja train. We heard a loud bang, and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across,” said Mr Maumfashi.

He added, “Passengers got hit, and most are bleeding and severely injured. Train delayed for some 30 minutes and resumed to Kubwa. No communication from @info_NRC on anything.”

Meanwhile, footage of the incident, seen by Peoples Gazette, showed two derailed and damaged train carriages surrounded by people, suggesting a sudden collision.

NRC’s managing director and chief executive officer, Kayode Opeifa, in a statement on Monday, described the incident as avoidable and linked it to a coupling issue.

“It has been observed that some media reports have described the incident that occurred earlier today along the Asham axis as a derailment. The Nigerian Railway Corporation wishes to clarify that the incident was not a derailment,” the statement read.

Mr Opeifa explained that in a derailment, the train’s wheels leave the track, making it impossible for the train to continue its journey.

“However, in this case, the train remained on the track and was able to proceed to Idu Station, where passengers safely disembarked,” he added.

The NRC boss noted that emergency response procedures were immediately activated and that relevant technical teams were deployed to the scene to manage the situation.

He further urged the public and the media to rely on verified information and avoid inaccurate descriptions of the incident, adding that passenger safety remains its top priority.