A freight train transporting copper cathodes derailed on Monday, March 23, leaving at least three dead and six injured, according to a preliminary investigation by the National Railway Company of the Congo (SNCC).
The accident occurred about 40 kilometers from the border with Angola. The deputy director of the SNCC, Trésor Kapuku Ngoy, indicated that two of the victims were stowaways and a third was a company employee. The company’s investigation is still ongoing.
The administrator of the Dilolo territory, Aaron Kayomb, who visited the scene of the accident, stated: “It appears the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. This is a lead we are taking very seriously.”
The transported copper belonged to Impala Terminals DRC, a subsidiary of the trading group Trafigura, a partner of the SNCC on this railway line. The company stated on Wednesday that it was aware of the incident, specifying that all details had not yet been confirmed.
This railway line is among those that the United States and the European Union have called to be rehabilitated, as part of their efforts to secure export corridors for critical Congolese minerals.
According to Actualite.cd, Red Cross rescue teams are also continuing their search under the overturned wagons to find any other potential victims.
M&B with Bloomberg and Actualite.cd
