At least forty people were killed Saturday and dozens injured when a passenger train collided head-on with a goods train carrying inflammable substances in Zimbabwe, the railway company and state radio reported.
The deadly rail crash took place some six kilometers from Dete, on the line that links the southern city of Bulawayo to the western resort town of Victoria Falls.
Rescue teams were pulling out bodies from the wreckage, at least 10 of them burnt beyond recognition, as the death toll rose, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) had said.
The train was carrying 1,100 passengers in 13 coaches, 11 of which were destroyed. The inflammable substance has not been identified, according to AFP.
The wounded were taken to a hospital for medical treatment in the nearby town of Hwange, the main railway terminal for Zimbabwe's biggest coal mine.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Witness Mangwende, who toured the crash site and visited the injured in hospital, said the accident had been caused by "human error", state radio said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
