Photo taken on Dec. 10, 2019 shows a derailed passenger train near Mahalapye village in Botswana. A passenger train derailed in the early hours of Tuesday near the Mahalapye village in Botswana, killing at least two people and injuring three others. (Xinhua)
GABORONE, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- A passenger train derailed in the early hours of Tuesday near the Mahalapye village in central Botswana, killing at least two people and injuring three others.
Sakaeyo Baitshepi, the Botswana Railways (BR) spokesperson, told Xinhua that 400 people were on board including twenty members of the train crew while the rest were passengers.
"It is with deep regret that two of the train service crew lost their lives during the accident which occurred around 02:00 hours on Tuesday morning," said Baitshepi.
According to Baitshepi, two other members of the train service crew and one passenger sustained serious injuries and have been hospitalized at a local district hospital.
Dozens of passengers who sustained minor injuries were treated by medical officials who rushed to the accident scene and discharged immediately, he said.
He said the cause of the derailment is being investigated by the country's directorate of accident investigation.
The passenger train was from Gaborone, Botswana's capital city heading northwards and the destination was the southern African country's second-largest city, Francistown.
In the meantime, Baitshepi said the train movement has been halted between the southern African country's major cities to give way for the repair of the railway line.
