The evacuation of passengers on the trapped Kaduna-bound train from Abuja has been concluded by security forces, officials of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Nigerian Red Cross.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan.
The train was conveying passengers from Abuja to Kaduna on Monday when it was attacked by gunmen suspected to be bandits in Kaduna State.
Many passengers were feared injured while several others were said to have been kidnapped by the assailants.
Mr Aruwan in a statement on Tuesday morning said that the passengers who sustained injuries, and other fatalities, have been moved to hospitals.
According to him, the passengers were evacuated from different hard-to-reach areas in forests and rocky locations in Audujongom, off the Kaduna-Abuja Road.
“As stated yesterday, the Kaduna State Government is still liaising with the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to ascertain the list from the passengers manifest for efficient tracking”.
Aruwan noted that Governor Nasir El-Rufai who commended all those who participated in the evacuation appealed to the hospitals to attend to the victims diligently.
The Governor also directed the Ministry of Health to be in contact with the hospitals as the government will bear the cost of their treatment.
“As of the time of this update, search-and-rescue operations are in progress”, he added.
Following the incident, troops have been mobilised to the scene of the attack.