Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC, has again confirmed the safety of two additional passengers aboard the ill-fated AK-9 train attacked by terrorists, last week, Monday on the Abuja-Kaduna standard gauge rail line.
With the two recent additions, the total number of passengers confirmed safe is 172 as at the time of filing this report.
NRC Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria in a new update said the corporation’s restoration team had further re-railed four more coaches, adding that two of the coaches (SP 00007 and SP 00013) have been safely moved to Idu and Rigasa stations respectively while two others are still at the site due to damaged tracks.
This brings the total number of coaches so far re-railed to seven, though, only five have been successfully moved to the stations.
“The corporation confirms updates that a total of 172 (additional 2 persons answered their call today) passengers on board the AK9 are safe and okay while 21 Passengers are still reported missing. Let us assure our esteem passengers that the corporation in collaboration with the security agencies will leave no stone unturned in our efforts at rescuing the missing persons.
“Efforts are on to link the track, at the moment. A total of 80 metres of the affected section has been fixed including replacement of affected sleepers and twisted rails.
“Once again, the corporation deeply condoles with those who lost loved ones and pray for the repose of the lost souls. We equally sincerely sympathize and empathize 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 you,” he said.
The Managing Director further expressed gratitude to the security agencies particularly, operatives of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air force, Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps and others for their support and cooperation since the unfortunate incident.
