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At least 73 people were injured and some seriously after a passenger train collided head on with a cargo train Tuesday night along the Zambia-Tanzania railway line in northern Zambia, reported the Zambia News Agency Wednesday.
Central province police Chief Joachim Bbenkele has confirmed the train crash, the report said.
The police officer attributed the cause of the accident to the poor communication network.
Bbenkele said the driver of the Dar es Salaam bound passenger train was among the seriously injured while his counterpart in the cargo train escaped unhurt.
He said both the passenger and the cargo train engines and three wagons to each train had been extensively damaged.
The commanding officer said the cargo train was carrying bags of maize which spilled all over the accident scene.
He said more police officers have been deployed to the scene to provide a 24 hour guard to ensure that the spilled grains and other goods could not be looted by the public.
Bbenkele also said that it would take three to four days to clear the blocked rail line at the accident scene.
(Xinhua News Agency January 23, 2003)
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