TWENTY train wagons have overturned in the Kafubu river after a Zambia Railways train which allegedly had brake failure system was involved in an accident in Ndola, Sunday afternoon.

Six of the wagons were carrying coal and large quantities of sugar meant for export by Zambia Sugar.

And Zambia Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga tells Byta FM Zambia that one of the drivers Simon Nkhoma, sustained general body pains and is currently under observation at Ndeke Mini Hospital in Ndola while the other locomotive train driver Lyindundu Kenneth also sustained some injuries and was rushed to Ndola Teaching Hospital.

“As the train ‘ran away’ from Bwana Mkubwa, it coupled to the impala train which was going the other direction but at the time of coupling, the impala train started going back to Ndola station but it was caught up by the ‘runaway’ train. So far, about 20 wagons have capsized of which six had carried sugar of different sizes and quantity meant for export by Zambia Sugar and 12 had coal,” explains Hamoonga.

“Brief facts of the matter are that today around 13:02 hours the reporter received a phone call from the Zambia Railways Station Master for Bwana Mkubwa informing him that the train had ‘run away’ from Bwana Mkubwa station heading to Ndola town Centre station strongly suspecting breaks failure.”

Meanwhile, Hamoonga says Zambia Police and Zambia Railways officers are on the ground securing all the essentials after local people had started to loot the sugar.

The Zambia Police Spokesperson reveals that the rail line is completely ripped off at the point where the derailment happened.

Byta FM