Around fifty killed in Congo train crash

A train in Congo Republic derailed en route to the capital Brazzaville, killing around 50 passengers as four of its wagons plunged into a ravine by the track, a national rail company source told Reuters on Tuesday.

The accident happened late last night after the train left the coastal town of Pointe-Noire on the Chemin de Fer Congo Ocean (CFCO) line, which has seen at least two serious accidents in recent years.

"Unfortunately the train took a corner that turned out to be fatal," said the rail company source, who declined to be identified because he was unauthorised to speak publicly.