NRC train guts fire on Warri-Itakpe corridor

Passengers travelling along the Warri-Itakpe standard gauge rail line had their peace shattered when the rear of their train caught fire on Tuesday evening.

A video trending on multiple social media platforms revealed some Nigerian Railway Corporation, NRC staff struggling to put the fire, using leafy tree branches and blankets, owing to the non-availability of fire extinguishers on board the coaches.

The train which appeared stranded in the middle of the lonely rail track is eliciting condemnable reactions from Nigerians on social media, many of whom questioned the rationality in not having fire extinguishers on board the train.

Given the dire situation, NRC staff on board had to improvise to curtail the situation.

When contacted, the public relations officer of the corporation, Mahmood Yakub explained that an investigation is ongoing to unravel the cause of the fire.

“Our managing director will be addressing the media on the cause of the fire before the close of Wednesday (today), but the investigation is ongoing to know what caused the fire on one of the Warri-Itakpe coaches,” he said.

Vanguard gathered however that the fire did not gain access to the coach and as a result, no life was affected as only the rubber demarcating two coaches was affected.