A freight train in south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has crashed in Katanga, killing at least 63 people and severely injuring 80.
Katanga Province Interior Minister Jean Marie Dikanga Kazadi was quoted by BBC News as saying that the freight train was overloaded with passengers, some of them even seated on the top of carriages.
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The rescue services were also delayed, which is expected to result in a rise in the death toll, while seven people were still stuck under debris and 50 more trapped inside the train, according to the minister.
Although an investigation has been launched to look into the cause for derailment, the minister said that the train was travelling round a bend at a higher speed than its maximum limit.
The minister told the news agency that the driver had been speeding, at approximately 60kmph when the speed limit was 40kmph. The driver’s efforts to slow the train were fruitless, leading to the deadly crash.
Most of the country’s rail network was built in the colonial era and do not receive regular maintenance services due to poor infrastructure, misrule and conflict in the region, according to the news agency.
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By GlobalDataCongo received a $255m grant from the World Bank in June 2010 to upgrade the railway system.
