LAGOS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian Railway Corporation(NRC) are working hard and collaborating with security agencies to ensure the rescue of at least 21 missing passengers onboard a train which was attacked by gunmen on Monday, an official said.
In a statement on Saturday, Fidet Okhiria, the NRC's managing director, confirmed the safety of about 170 passengers who were on board the train.
"The corporation, in continuation of its concerted effort through repeated calls, has been able to confirm the safety of 170 passengers, while 21 passengers are reported missing by the relatives who made calls to us," Okhiria said.
The corporation is seriously collaborating with the security agencies who have already swung into action to do everything possible to rescue the missing passengers, he said.
On Monday night, a passenger train en route to north Nigeria's Kaduna city from Abuja, the country's capital, was attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in Rijana, a town in Kaduna. At least eight passengers were killed and 26 others injured, according to the Kaduna state government on Tuesday.
The manifest received from the Nigerian Railway Corporation(NRC) showed 362 passengers were validated as having bought tickets, the Kaduna state government added.
The NRC announced on Tuesday it has temporarily suspended its train operations between Abuja and Kaduna due to "unforeseen circumstances" following the attack.
Okhiria said in the latest statement the corporation has moved human and material resources to the accident site to ensure the resumption of train services without further delays.
He said the move was to reduce the stress currently faced by its passengers in getting to their destinations.
On safety, the NRC boss said arrangements had been put in place for increased security along the track and onboard the train to prevent a recurrence of the unfortunate incident. ■
