Morocco World News
Morocco World News
Fez, August 3, 2012
On Thursday, August 2, 2012, a train has fallen down in the center of Fez city at 18: 50. The gruesome incident has resulted in the injury of 43 passengers, whose wounds differed according to some eye-wtinesses. Some passengers even proclaimed that there was one case of death among those awfully wounded.
MWN has been so close to the incident of the train composed of nine wagons which deviated from its railway of Oujda-Fez line. Four wagons in the middle were capsized, while the second and the eighth stayed full but outside the railway.
The incident that occurred a few minutes before Sunset prayers shocked the inhabitants of the region. The first snippet of news pointed that the incident was caused when the train deviated from its way whilst going in a dangerous zig in Dhar Mehraz forest nearby the American restaurant of fast food (MacDonalds). The victims were immediately transferred to Hassan II hospital in Fez.
People had different views vis-à-vis the dreadful incident. Some of them ascribed it to the bad situation of the railway in this area known for eroded soil due to floods. Others believed that the driver was going at a high speed in the dangerous narrow zig.
As it has heard of the derailment, the local authorities hastened to the site of the incident and prevented the families of the victims from approaching due to safety and security reasons.
The Office National des Chemins de Fer (National Office of Railways) attributed the incident to unknown people who might have damaged the railway.
According to the office, these unknown people might have stolen some bars from the railway, a fact which brought about the deviation of the train. The office condemned such irresponsible act and promised to chase the evil doers.
The same source interviewed added that the security staff working for the ONCF, supported by the local authorities rushed to the site to rescue give the victims.
Investigations are still ongoing to unravel the mystery of the incident.
