300 cheat death as train derails

ABOUT 300 passengers cheated death on Monday afternoon when a passenger train bound for Tabora derailed, some 50 kilometres from Mpanda Township in Katavi Region.

Acting Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Mr Jacob Mwaluanda, confirmed the incident that occurred at Katumba in Mpanda District at around 4pm.

He told the ‘Daily News’ in a telephone interview from Sumbawanga town that no passenger was seriously injured, only some who sustained minor bruises.

“We thank God that the accident did not claim any life but of course there is damage to passengers’ property..., engineers are working round the clock to open the line,” added the RPC. Good Samaritans, including government officials volunteered to provide transport to ferry stranded passengers to Mpanda Township.

Eyewitnesses said a train engine and a first class compartment derailed and tumbled
off. “Wreckage of the engine and a compartment are lying on their side about 15 km from Katumba,” one eye witness said.

Mr Mwalunda said police and other authorities were investigating the accident to establish the cause of the accident. Meanwhile, the government is upgrading to tarmac level a two kilometre airport runway in Mpanda Township at an estimated cost of over 12.7bn/-.

The Project Manager of DP Shapriya Civil Engineering Company, Mr Malapati Gopal, told the ‘Daily News’ on Monday that the project is wholly funded by the government. The project took off in May, last year and is scheduled for completion this May.

According to Mr Gopal, tarmacking two kilometres would cost over 9.7 bn/-. Initially the runway had 1,500 running metres (1.5 km) and a width of 30 metres. “Over 3bn/- will be spent on fencing the area which covers 4 km,” he added.

The airport which is situated five km South West of Mpanda Township is expected to boost the social- economy of the Katavi, Kigoma and Rukwa regions. According to Mr Gopal, the airport would be able to handle aircraft as big as a 300 seat Boeing.

Other requisite infrastructures including passengers lounge, offices and sanitation facilities had been uplifted by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and handed over to the government two years ago.

According to Mpanda Town Council Acting Director Mr Joseph Mchina, the UNHCR provided financial assistance as a token of appreciation to the district, for accommodating Burundian refugees in Katumba and Mishamo camps for over 30 years.

At the moment, no commercial flight serves Rukwa and Katavi regions and according to Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA), both airports in Mpanda Township (Katavi) and Sumbawanga town (Rukwa) can be used for commercial purposes (passengers and cargo) using small aircraft.