About 50 people lost their lives in a train accident in southern Congo-Brazzaville on Monday night.
The director-general of the Congo Railway Corporation, Joseph Sauveur El Bez, made this announcement today.
He was quoted in the public media as saying "we had a ghastly train accident last night about 60 kilometres from Pointe-Noire. There are many deaths and injuries."
The accident took place between Bilinga and Tchitondi. The cause remains unkown. He said all necessary measures have been taken to help at the accident scene.
The remains of those who died have been taken to mortuaries while the injured have been taken to hospital in Pointe-Noire, the Republic of Congo's main economic and commercial centre.
Adapted by Michael Tantoh from a report in Infos Plus Gabon of Libreville.