HARARE – A Bulawayo-bound passenger train derailed this week on its way from Victoria Falls, due to a collapse of the railway system.
The railway system had apparently been vandalised by gold panners mining along the line.
The incident occurred just after Hwange around the Intundla area.
Resultantly, the locomotive and two coaches of the train fell off the tracks before the train came to a halt.
National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) confirmed the accident.
“I am aware that there is a train that derailed sometime this week, but I am not really sure about the conditions surrounding the incident as I was out of office for some time,” NRZ acting public relations manager Martin Banda said.
“I have not seen the report but what I know is that the locomotive and two passenger coaches went off the track but no one was injured.”
He said the train with a carrying capacity of 60 people could have been carrying about 20 people, as business is still low after the strike that gripped the parastatal last month
“We suspect that it was a case of vandalism or mining activities, because the railway line had been recently rehabilitated so it’s not a case of dilapidation.”
