Tangier’s Tragic Accident: ‘Sanctions will Be Taken’ Against Anyone Who Fails in Performing Duties

Rabat – Following the deadly rail accident in Tangier that took the lives of six people and left 15 people injured last Saturday, Mustapha El Khalfi, Minister Delegate for Relations with the Parliament and government spokesman, said today that “sanctions will be taken against anyone who fails in performing his duties.” 

On February 17, Moroccans were shocked to hear news of the crash involving a freight train and a transport minibus in a manned railway crossing near Beni Makada district.

“The investigation is still ongoing and sanctions will be taken against anyone who has caused this tragedy because of failure or negligence, a tragedy that reminds us of the safety of railway crossings throughout the Kingdom,” El Khalfi said at a press briefing following the weekly cabinet meeting.

Shortly after the tragedy, the Moroccan Railway’s National Office (ONCF) released a statement calling for “greater vigilance, with full respect for the signs of signaling when crossing the flat corridors.” ONCF’s statement was seen by many as provocative as it seemingly “blames the victims for not respecting the railway sign.”TrrzinThe ONCF statement included a general description of the incident: “On Saturday, February 17, at around 5:15 am, the 3252 freight took an emergency stop after it collided with a small transport bus that was crossing the 12001 lane without respect for the sign between the Dalaiya and Malusa,” it read.

After offering his condolences to the families of the victims and taking charge of the funeral and burial expenses as well as the medical care of those injured, King Mohammed VI ordered the General Inspectorate of Territorial Administration at the Interior Ministry and the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water to set up a joint commission to investigate the incident and take the necessary legal and administrative measures against anyone who has failed in his job duties related to the tragedy.

A well-informed source told the Moroccan daily Akhbar Alyawm that “many senior officials at ONCF are in hot water, and are apprehensively awaiting the results of the investigations carried by the General Prosecutor and the one ordered by the monarch.”

“The arrangement of retributions will not stop at the weakest link in the list of duties, it will involve big heads 6from different positions,” said the source.