Hundreds of passengers were stranded Monday morning after two trains collided on the Kaduna-Abuja rail line, prompting authorities to suspend operations.
The crash, which happened during peak hour, has sparked concerns about safety protocols and signaling systems on Nigeria’s busy rail network.
According to media reports, the train departed Kaduna as scheduled but later encountered another train on the same track.
Though, details about whether the other train was stationary or moving are still unclear.
Witnesses described the moment of impact as a sudden and violent jolt that caused both trains to come to an abrupt stop.
“We were moving at a steady pace when there was a loud bang and the train suddenly braked,” one passenger wrote on social media. “We later realized we had hit another train on the same track. Everyone is shaken, but we are waiting for official information.”
Another passenger, Sada Malumfashi, said the impact threw passengers off balance.
“I just dropped from the Kaduna–Abuja train. We heard a loud bang and the train jolted to a stop, flinging people across. Some passengers were hit and are bleeding with serious injuries,” he said.
A separate passenger reported that the train was delayed for about 30 minutes before continuing towards Kubwa, adding that there had been no communication from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
The Nigerian Railway Corporation has yet to release an official casualty figure. However, early reports from the scene indicate that although the collision caused notable damage to the front sections of the trains, there have been no confirmed fatalities so far.
Emergency responders and security personnel have since been deployed to the area to assist passengers and secure the site.
