BR employees expose safety lapses

Botswana Railways board of enquiry during the ongoing hearing for the derailment of BR passenger train PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG
Botswana Railways board of enquiry during the ongoing hearing for the derailment of BR passenger train PIC: KEOAGILE BONANG

MAHALAPYE: The ongoing commission of inquiry following the train mishap that occurred last December has seemingly exposed an organisational rot at Botswana Railways (BR) that employees claim climaxed with the fatal derailment.

Two employees of BR died in the December 10, 2019 passenger train accident near Pallaroad. The accident left a few critical and many passengers escaped with minor injuries. The derailment was supposedly caused by heavy water flow following torrential downpours in and around Mahalapye at the time.

Owing to the accident that shocked the nation, the Ministry of Transport and Communications set up a board of inquiry to investigate the causes of the accident. The commission is held here at Cresta Hotel. It is expected to last for about six weeks. This week the inquiry commenced with the questioning of the expert of the BD 500 series locomotives also the supplier of the same to BR. The BD 500 locomotive was used to haul the fatal train. Probing of the BR employees ensued thereafter and will last for two weeks. The submissions have revealed poor working standards at the nation’s rail services company.

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