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Rabat – Several countries have shown solidarity by sending condolence cables to the families of victims in the Bouknadel train accident.
The Spanish government expressed solidarity with Morocco in a statement from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Spanish government “wishes to express, on behalf of the Spanish people and in these sad moments, its solidarity with the authorities and the people of Morocco, a friendly country, neighbor and strategic partner.”
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani also sent a sympathy message to King Mohammed VI and the victims of the train accident.
He also wished the injured passengers “speedy recovery.”
Kuwait and Jordan also sent condolences to Morocco.
King Abdullah of Jordan offered his condolences over the victims of the train derailment in Bouknadel.
While international governments were quick to send condolences to the victims, the Moroccan government has not issued any joint statement to show solidarity with the families.
However, some Moroccan officials have preferred using social media to express regret and condolences, including Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani.
A train derailed in Bouknadel, between Rabat and Kenitra, on Tuesday, October 16, killing 7 and injuring at least 125.
Rabat’s public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
Read Also: Bouknadel’s Train Incident Death Toll Grows to 7, Public Prosecutor Opens Investigation
The accident might be a discussion point in today’s weekly government council.
ONCF Director Rabie Khlie told journalists on the scene that the accident might be due to a technical problem. Fully two days after the accident, ONCF has still released no information on the cause of the tragedy.
By midday Wednesday, ONCF had cleared one track and begun re-running trains on the Casablanca-Kenitra line.
On Wednesday, a leaked audio recording between ONCF employees blamed the accident on a faulty track and the train’s speed.
The drivers said that they had complained about a problem in the stretch of track where the train derailed.
Read Also: Bouknadel Train Accident: ONCF Removes Train Cars from Railway
One of the employees stated that the technical issues on the track were noticed last Friday, but ONCF did not properly communicate the speed limit to drivers or take it into consideration.
One of the speakers urged: “It’s about time that we speak up about our rights.”
