Train disaster death toll could rise

The death toll in Mozambique's railway disaster may yet rise, as the focus shifts to treating the hundreds who were injured in Saturday's accident. Mozambique's national disaster agency (INGC) told IRIN blood was urgently needed to treat the wounded. The train crash happened in the early hours of 25 May close to Moamba, about 60 km from Maputo. According to news reports a train traveling from the South African border to Maputo developed mechanical problems on a hill. It was reported that the driver disconnected the passenger section at the back of the train and wedged four large stones under its wheels to prevent it from sliding. He then drove the locomotive and freight sections of the train on to the station at Tenga, northwest of Maputo. The stones apparently came loose and the passenger train careened five kilometers down the tracks into a freight train; 195 people have so far been confirmed dead and hundreds more injured. Yohannes Giorgis of the INGC said: "There are wounded people in hospitals right now and there's the possibility that the death toll could rise. There is a shortage of blood and the people here [in Maputo] are really trying to help out [by donating]." Giorgis said there had also been calls to get blood from South Africa. Birte Hald, UN Emergency Liaison Officer in Mozambique, told IRIN additional blood collection centres were opened in Maputo. The UN Resident Coordinator had also managed to raise US $50,000 for relief efforts. Said Hald: "The response by the population and humanitarian organisations was immediate. Mozambican Red Cross was deeply involved [at the crash] site. The immediate needs were for beds and blood. "The UN Resident Coordinator, Marylène Spezzati, hurried immediately [after the crash] to the Central Hospital to offer assistance." All UN agencies were asked to encourage their staff to give blood. "UNICEF [UN Children's Fund] mobilised first aid material, camping material, medical staff, and different types of hygienic material such as plastic bags, gloves, buckets, boots etcetera, to be taken to the Maputo Central Hospital. "[World Food Programme] WFP also mobilised whatever camping material was available. The IFRC [International Federation of the Red Cross] contributed different materials [such as] bodybags," Hald said. The US $50,000 raised by Spezzati would be channeled through the UN Development Programme. She said Maputo Central Hospital, which had about 100 extra patients from the crash in intensive care, was to provide a budget for the expenditure on Monday afternoon and the funds would then be made available immediately. News reports said a commission of inquiry had been set up to investigate the crash.