| Benaleka train accident | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | August 1, 2007 |
| Time | 23:00 |
| Location | Benaleka |
| Country | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Rail line | Ilebo to Kanaga |
| Operator | Congo Railroad Company |
| Type of incident | Runaway derailment |
| Cause | Brake failure |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 100 |
| Injuries | 128 |
The Benaleka train accident occurred on August 1, 2007 near Benaleka in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 100 people and seriously injuring 128 more[1][2]
Tha accident happened in a remote location 105 miles west of Kananga in West Kasai province at 23:00[3] and involved the derailment of a goods train travelling between Ilebo and Kananga on which hundreds of people were travelling illegally, a common practice in Congo,[4] The crash was caused by the failure of the trains brakes,[5] seven of the train's ten waggons (which people were riding on top of[6]) overturned, trapping many people underneath.[7] The driver was able to detach the locomotive and go for help.;[8] many of the injured were carried by bicycle or on people's back to the nearest hospital, six miles away according to Radio Okapi.[9]
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