60 killed as train plunges into ravine

At least 60 people died when a train went off the rails and into a ravine in the Republic of Congo yesterday. Four carriages full of passengers were derailed and more than 300 people injured.

The train, known as the "Ocean" service, was leaving the coastal town of Pointe-Noire heading to the capital, Brazzaville, when it derailed. Soldiers and Red Cross medics helped victims.

"We have a provisional toll but it is likely to get higher because of the high number of gravely wounded, which ambulances are busy ferrying to hospitals in Pointe-Noire," a government spokesman said.