The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has said a possible sudden bogie or wheel defect may have triggered the June 8 derailment of the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) at Owa-Oyibu, near the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station in Delta State.

The Corporation, in its preliminary accident report signed by its Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, yesterday, said the suspected defect was still being investigated and should not be regarded as the definitive cause of the accident.

The incident occurred at about 4:17 p.m. on June 8, 2026, as the train approached the Outer Home signal of the Goodluck Jonathan Railway Station at kilometre 177. The train departed Itakpe at noon with 482 people comprising 442 passengers and 40 operational personnel.

According to the report, the derailment affected five coaches, one locomotive and a power car, with three coaches and the power car overturning. Other rolling stock derailed but remained upright.

The NRC said all passengers were evacuated within two hours with support from the Delta State Government, police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), local authorities and medical teams. However, the accident resulted in four confirmed deaths—three adults and one child—and 64 injuries.

Opeifa said the preliminary investigation indicated that the possible wheel defect could have produced abnormal wheel-rail interaction, excessive impact loading and loss of running stability.

He added that the possible manner of brake application might also have contributed to the severity of the accident, stressing that both remained “working hypotheses” pending a comprehensive analysis.

“The definitive cause or causes of the accident will be determined through comprehensive analysis and will be set out in the final report,” Opeifa said.

The NRC Managing Director also disclosed that investigators found the track points intact and detected no evidence of track vandalism at the accident location.

This, he noted, differed from two previous WITS accidents recorded on November 1 and November 8, 2025, which were attributed to track vandalism.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced an independent investigation into the incident. Opeifa said the NRC was cooperating fully with the investigation and would be guided by its findings and recommendations.