Freight train derails in southeastern Congo; officials say around 50 dead
Posted April 23, 2014 6:11 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
KINSHASA, Congo – Officials in Congo say a freight train has derailed in the country’s southeast, killing around 50 people.
A union official, Fernandez Tshibondo, said the train jumped the tracks Tuesday near the station at Katongola, a town in Congo’s Katanga province.
Government spokesman Lambert Mende said Wednesday that police had counted around 50 dead, but the toll could go higher. It is common in Congo for people to jump onto freight trains for a free ride.
The cause was not immediately clear, and Mende said an investigation has been opened.
