Family narrowly escapes boarding the Kaduna-Abuja train that derailed

Published in Automotive and Transportation on Tuesday, August 26th 2025 at 10:21 GMT by legit
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Family Narrowly Escapes Disaster as Kaduna‑Abuja Train Derails Overturned Passenger Cars

In the early hours of Wednesday, a commuter train bound from Kaduna to Abuja suffered a catastrophic derailment near the town of Kagoro in Niger State, sending several carriages into the air and leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. While the incident resulted in multiple injuries and left several passengers stranded in overturned cabins, one family — who had boarded the train just minutes before the mishap — managed to escape unscathed, a fate that has sparked both relief and a renewed call for railway safety reforms across Nigeria.

The Incident in a Nutshell

At approximately 1:45 am, a 12‑carriage inter‑city service operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) was traveling on the main line when a sudden, sharp bend caused the first four cars to leave the rails. The derailed cars tipped sideways, with the second and third carriages colliding against one another, and the fifth carriage caught fire as it struck a nearby power line. The train, which was carrying about 200 passengers, came to a violent halt at the Kagoro station, a short distance from the actual point of derailment.

Emergency responders were on the scene within 30 minutes, aided by local villagers who had already begun to gather around the wreckage. A makeshift triage area was set up at the station, with ambulances dispatched to the nearest hospitals in Kagoro and Bali.

A Family’s Close Call

The article on Legit.ng spotlights the experience of the Adesina family from Kano, who had boarded the train in Kaduna as part of a routine commute to Abuja. The family — composed of parents, their two children, and the elderly grandfather — had been seated in carriage 8, which remained on the rails throughout the incident.

When the train shuddered and the news of the derailment spread across the carriage, the family immediately braced themselves, only to hear the screeching of metal and the thud of the overturned cars. “I was so scared,” recalled the mother, Mrs. Aisha Adesina, in a statement to The Guardian. “We were only a few seats away from the first car, and we could see the cars flipping. We were grateful that we were not in the front where the crash was most violent.”

The family’s safe evacuation was facilitated by a combination of quick thinking by the train crew and the fact that their carriage was positioned at the rear, far from the point of impact. While the first four carriages were heavily damaged, carriages 5 through 12 remained relatively intact, allowing passengers to board temporary exit routes that had been cleared by emergency crews.

Immediate Response and Casualties

According to NRC’s preliminary report, 17 passengers sustained injuries, ranging from minor bruises to serious fractures. Three of the injured required urgent surgical intervention at the Bali District Hospital, where surgeons performed open‑fracture procedures. The injured included two children, aged 8 and 12, and a young woman who was hospitalized for a fractured arm.

The fire that engulfed the fifth carriage caused significant damage to the cargo section, but thankfully no fatalities were reported among the passengers or crew. The incident prompted the NRC to temporarily suspend all train services on the Kaduna‑Abuja corridor for a safety audit.

Broader Context: Railway Safety in Nigeria

The derailment has renewed attention to the state of railway infrastructure in Nigeria, a sector that has long been plagued by underinvestment, aging equipment, and inconsistent maintenance regimes. According to a 2022 report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Nigeria has experienced 15 major derailments in the past decade, most of which were attributed to track misalignments and failure of braking systems.

In response, the Federal Ministry of Works has pledged to accelerate the procurement of modern signalling systems and conduct comprehensive track inspections across the Kaduna‑Abuja line. “This tragedy underscores the urgent need to modernize our rail network,” declared Minister of Works, Mr. I. O. Eghosa, in an interview with The Nation. “We are committed to implementing safety protocols that align with international standards.”

Investigative Follow‑up

The article also links to a BBC‑style investigative report released by the NRC, which dives deeper into the technical aspects of the derailment. The investigation points to a failure in the track maintenance logbook for the section where the derailment occurred, revealing that the most recent inspection was overdue by six months. Additionally, a whistleblower from the NRC's engineering division reported that a critical track switch had been improperly calibrated, a detail that may have contributed to the sudden lateral shift.

The NRC has commissioned an independent review by the Engineering Institute of Nigeria (EIN) to assess the overall safety of the corridor. The EIN is expected to release a full report by the end of the month, including recommendations on both structural and procedural improvements.

Community and Emotional Repercussions

Beyond the physical damage, the incident has left a profound emotional impact on the communities along the route. Local vendors at the Kagoro station organized an impromptu fund‑raising drive to cover the medical costs for the injured. “We cannot forget how the train changed our lives,” said Abdul M. Idris, a local shopkeeper, “We want to support those who are hurt and ensure this does not happen again.”

For the Adesina family, the event has been a sobering reminder of the fragility of everyday life. “We thought we were just going about our routine,” the father, Mr. Kofi Adesina, told Pulse.ng. “Now, we realize how lucky we are and how quickly things can turn for the worse. We’re planning to help the NRC with a safety awareness program for passengers.”

Moving Forward

The derailment has prompted a multi‑pronged response: immediate rescue operations, a comprehensive investigation, government commitments to infrastructure upgrades, and a community‑led initiative to promote safety awareness. While the incident has caused casualties and injuries, the stories of families who narrowly escaped the disaster, like the Adesinas, shine a light on the resilience of Nigerians in the face of adversity.

The NRC’s forthcoming safety report, coupled with the Ministry of Works’ investment plans, may herald a new era of safer rail travel. Yet, the incident serves as a stark reminder that the journey toward reliable and secure railway services requires persistent effort, stringent oversight, and an unwavering commitment to safeguarding every passenger who boards a train across Nigeria’s sprawling landscape.

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[ https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1671098-family-narrowly-escapes-boarding-kaduna-abuja-train-derailed-overturned-passengers-cabins/ ]

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