Zuluyee Town, Nimba County – One of ArcelorMittal locomotives transporting iron ore from Yekepa to Buchanan Port on early Saturday morning derailed, leaving about 30 coaches (buckets) of iron ore pouring to the ground and part of the rail damaged.
Report by Franklin Doloquee, Contributor
The accident occurred between the towns of Zuluyee and Tondin at about 4 a.m. in District 2, Nimba County.
The cause of the accident is yet to be established. It is, however, believed that there a mechanical fault developed between Sanniquellie and Ganta region.
There is no death or injury reported in the accident.
Buckets the train was carrying were about 90 in number. The rest that left were carried to Buchanan.
Ms. Amanda Hill, Corporate Communications Manager of ArcelorMittal Liberia, told reporters that the company will come out with a statement and could therefore not comment further.
The damage of the railroad will cause the transporting of iron ore to be suspended.
This is the first accident to have occurred along the railway since ArcelorMital began operations. However, trains belonging to Mittal had in recent times killed two persons in separate locations that the causes of their encounter with the heavy machinery are yet to be established.
It can be recalled that a 40-year-old Guinean was killed by the train about two months ago while on his way from hunting for frog in the Zuluyee area.
In the Bunadin area in Loa Clan where the railroad passes, the body of another man was discovered there recently and it was established that he was killed by a train. These incidents occurred during the night.