At least 50 people have been killed after a train derailed overnight in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s southeast Tanganyika province.
The ministry of humanitarian action and national solidarity Steve Mbikayi said the derailment also injured 23 others near the Mayibaridi locality and the toll may climb as people are still under the train and must be rescued.
Steve Mbikayi, the Minister of humanitarian affairs, said the accident happened at around 3am local time, in the town of Mayibaridi in the southeastern province of Tanganyika.
“Speaking for the government, I present my condolences to the families affected,” he said on Twitter.
He said the government is sending rescue workers to the scene.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, but there are often derailments due to the cost of maintaining railways and trains.
Workers from the national railway company say they have several years of unpaid wages.
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