Train derailment killed two, injured 34 in Tunisia

According to the state-owned SNCFT rail company, an overnight passenger train that had been travelling through eastern Tunisia on Wednesday crashed off the tracks and overturned, killing two persons and injuring 34 others.

A train travelling from Tunis to the southern city of Gabes derailed close to Msaken, a town located about 150 kilometres (95 miles) from the country's capital, just after midnight (2300 GMT).

According to the SNCFT, the driver and one passenger died, and 34 other passengers were hurt.

"An investigation has been opened to clarify the circumstances and causes of the accident and to determine who was responsible," it added.

The incident happened 15 months after two trains collided in the south of the capital, inflicting almost 100 injuries.

When a train and a public bus crashed in the same location in December 2016, five persons were murdered and more than 50 others were injured.

The accident, which was attributed to subpar infrastructure, led to the firing of the SNCFT's then-CEO.

18 persons lost their lives in one of Tunisia's worst rail accidents in recent memory in June 2015 when a train and a truck collided near El Fahes, about 60 kilometres south of Tunis.

A level crossing's malfunctioning signalling was the reason for the collision.

Source