Watch: Goods train attacked in Sofala – AIM report

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Watch: Goods train attacked in Sofala – AIM report

10:50 CAT | 05 Mar 2021

Screen grab: TVM

The driver of a goods train sustained injury on Thursday morning when a group of individuals, yet to be identified, opened fire on the train, carrying a cargo of coal along the Sena Railway, in the central Mozambican province of Sofala.

The publicly owned Ports and Railway Company (CFM) confirmed the latest incident and said the attack occurred shortly after 06.00 in the area between Cheringoma and Muanza districts, when the train, belonging to the Indian company ICVL, was heading towards the Port of Beira.

“The attack happened shortly after six o’clock, when unknown individuals at kilometre 15, between Mazamba and Conduio, opened fire on the train and wounded the driver”, said Adelio Dias, CFM Director of Communications, in a telephone contact with AIM.

After the attack, video footage, presumably filmed by residents near the scene, were posted on social media in which the immobilised locomotive, riddled with bullets, could be seen on the line.

Dias said the driver received first aid at a health unit in Conduio but was then taken to Muanza district hospital for a further medical check-up. The driver is back on his feet and able to walk.

When the bullets were fired, Dias said, the driver at first thought the train was derailing, but everything happened so quickly that he had no chance to draw a clear picture of what was going on.

The Mozambican police have launched an investigation and hope to announce on Friday the identity of the attackers, and their motivations.

The most likely culprit is the dissident Renamo Military Junta, although its ambushes have usually been against roads, not railways.