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    World shares mixed, Hong Kong index dives 5.4pc

    BANGKOK (AP) – World shares were mixed yesterday while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index plunged five per cent after the neighbouring city of Shenzhen was ordered into a shutdown to combat China’s worst COVID-19 outbreak in two years.

    Benchmarks rose in Frankfurt, Paris and Tokyo and United States (US) futures were higher. Oil prices retreated against the backdrop of uncertainty from the war in Ukraine.

    Germany’s DAX advanced 1.8 per cent to 13,879.27, while the CAC 40 in Paris picked up 0.6 per cent to 6,293.04. Britain’s FTSE 100 was almost unchanged at 7,152.08.

    The future for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.7 per cent, auguring a positive start for the week’s trading. The S&P 500 future was 0.5 per cent higher.

    The spreading virus outbreaks in China are compounding worries over supply chain disruptions both from the pandemic and from the war.

    A vital manufacturing and technology hub of 17.5 million people, Shenzhen is home to some of China’s most prominent companies, including telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Ltd, electric car brand BYD Auto, Ping An Insurance Co and Tencent Holding, operator of the popular WeChat message service.

    A woman walks past a bank’s electronic board showing the Hong Kong share index in Hong Kong. PHOTO: AP

    The Hang Seng index dipped 5.4 per cent but regained some lost ground to close five per cent lower at 19,531.66. The exchange’s tech index dropped 11 per cent.

    The Shanghai Composite index slipped 2.6 per cent to 3,223.53. The A-share index in Shenzhen’s smaller market lost 2.9 per cent.

    Authorities have restricted access to Shenzhen by suspending bus service and said everyone in the city will undergo three rounds of testing after 60 new cases were reported on Sunday.

    All businesses except those that supply food, fuel and other necessities were ordered to close or work from home.

    Infection numbers in mainland China are low compared with other countries and with Hong Kong, which reported more than 32,000 new cases on Sunday. But Beijing’s “zero tolerance” strategy has led to lockdowns of entire cities to find and isolate every infected person.

    In other Asian markets, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index rose 0.6 per cent to 25,307.85 and the S&P/ASX 200 in Australia gained 1.2 per cent to 7,149.40. South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.6 per cent to 2,645.65.

    The Ukraine crisis and central bank efforts to fight inflation remain the focus for most markets.

    Russia’s military forces were keeping up their campaign to capture Ukraine’s capital as residents of other besieged cities held out hope that renewed diplomatic talks might open the way for more civilians to evacuate or emergency supplies to reach them.

    A fourth round of talks was held yesterday between Ukrainian and Russian officials to discuss getting food, water, medicine and other desperately needed supplies to cities and towns under fire, among other issues, Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said.

    Last Friday, the S&P 500 fell 1.3 per cent and the Dow industrials lost 0.7 per cent. The Nasdaq composite index gave up 2.2 per cent and the Russell 2000 index of smaller companies slipped 1.6 per cent.

    World markets have been rocked by dramatic reversals as investors struggle to guess how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will affect prices of oil, wheat and other commodities produced in the region.

    That’s raising the risk the US economy may struggle under a toxic combination of persistently high inflation and stagnating growth. The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates at its meeting this week as it and other central banks act to stamp out the highest inflation in generations, while trying to avoid causing a recession by raising rates too high or too quickly.

    US stocks are about 10 per cent below peaks hit earlier this year, while crude oil prices are more than 40 per cent higher for 2022.

    US benchmark crude oil lost USD3.13 to USD106.20 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It surged USD3.31 per barrel last Friday to USD109.33 per barrel.

    Brent crude oil, the standard for international pricing, declined USD2.63 to USD110.04 per barrel.

    The US dollar rose to JPY117.71 from JPY117.35. The euro strengthened to USD1.0959 from USD1.0926.

    10 Muallaf families receive food aid

    Lyna Mohamad

    Ten underprivileged families of converts received basic necessities yesterday via a drive-through at Islamic Da’wah Centre (PDI), under Fathul Barakah 3.0, a joint project by the PDI and the Nurul Islam Association.

    Acting PDI Director and guest of honour Haji Ahmad Abdussalam bin Haji Abdul Rahman officiated the event in the presence of Head of Muallaf Development Division Dr Hajah Rohanita binti Haji Yaakub and committee members of Nurul Islam Association.

    The day kicked off with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa, read by Assistant Head of the Muallaf Development Division at the PDI Haji Mohd Nazri bin Haji Othman, followed by welcoming remarks from Dr Hajah Rohanita, who said that Fathul Barakah 3.0 was simultaneously held in PDI offices in the four districts.

    Among the contributions received on March 5-6 were basic necessities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil and canned foods.

    This year, some 400 packs of food items have been collected and will be distributed to all Muslim converts nationwide, either via the drive-through system or home delivery.

    She also said the Muallaf Development Division is also distributing posters on Ramadhan practices to converts in the hope of reminding them to carry out religious practices outside of the obligatory reading of Al-Quran, performing Sahur, and enlivening Ramadhan nights of Terawih and Tedarus.

    The distribution of posters is an initiative between the Muallaf Development Division and the Research and Publication Section of the PDI.

    Acting Islamic Da’wah Centre Director Haji Ahmad Abdussalam bin Haji Abdul Rahman presents food and posters to recipients. PHOTOS: LYNA MOHAMAD

    Messi, Neymar jeered as PSG fans rage at European exit

    PARIS (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Ligue 1 strugglers Bordeaux 3-0 on Sunday amid incessant whistles directed at stars including Lionel Messi and Neymar from home fans furious at another Champions League exit.

    Amid a gloomy atmosphere in the French capital, only Kylian Mbappe, who scored both goals in the last-16 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, escaped the wrath of the fans.

    On Sunday, Mbappe was again on target, scoring the opening goal after 24 minutes with Neymar and Leandro Paredes adding two more in the second half. PSG hold a 15-point lead over Marseille and Nice and are on track to equal Saint-Etienne’s record of 10 French titles, but the frustration of their home fans spilled over.

    Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi was booed as never before in his career, even in the rare bad times with Argentina, and whistled at every touch of the ball.

    Coach Mauricio Pochettino said the players had reacted to the hostility “with sadness”.

    “No-one who loves PSG, its colours, and who feels the frustration of elimination, can experience it in any other way.

    Lionel Messi. PHOTO: AFP

    “Sadness. I think that’s the right word. The sadness of experiencing an afternoon like this here at the Parc des Princes.

    “Messi and Neymar? We are all affected, we understand the disappointment and frustration, which we also share. But we are responsible. We only have to accept it as a team and we will be united until the end.”

    Ligue 1 is Pochettino’s side’s only objective this season.

    “We are satisfied with the performance of the team in difficult circumstances, the team responded, with a professional performance, with a 3-0 win,” added the Argentine.

    Mbappe blasted in the first goal from Georginio Wijnaldum’s pass in a move also involving Messi. It was the World Cup winner’s 15th goal of the season in Ligue 1.

    Neymar added a second seven minutes after the break with Messi again sending the ball through for Achraf Hakimi who teed up the Brazilian to score.

    Paredes got on the scoresheet for the first time this season after an hour, firing the ball into the roof of the net.

    “We’re all to blame, no-one more so than anyone else,” PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe said of the whistles targetting Messi and Neymar.

    “We’re a team and we’re all together when things are good and when they’re not.

    “Now is the time to show we have character and stay solid and strong together, even if it’s very, very hard because unfortunately it happens often. It’s time to pick ourselves back up and show that we’re strong.”

    Agriculture giant Brazil nervously eyes Ukraine war

    RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) – Agricultural powerhouse Brazil is nervously watching the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine, uncertain whether the upside – an expected boost to Brazil’s corn exports – will outweigh the hit to its crucial fertiliser imports.

    Brazil, a top exporter of agricultural products including beef, chicken, soy and corn, stands to gain a windfall from surging commodities prices, driven higher worldwide by the war.

    But the country also depends heavily on imported fertiliser, and is facing a collapse in stock from top supplier Russia, whose exports have been hit hard by Western sanctions.

    Corn has been particularly affected by the war.

    Ukraine’s invasion by Russia on February 24 has cast doubt on whether either country – the world’s fourth- and fifth-biggest corn exporters, respectively, in 2019-20 – will be able to make expected deliveries this year.

    That is causing prices to soar, and could be a boon for Brazil, the number-three exporter.

    Its corn crop was hit hard last year by bad weather, including the worst drought in nearly a century. But the harvest stands to increase by 29 per cent in 2021-22, according to the latest forecast from the National Supply Company (Conab).

    A harvester works on a corn field at Brazilian cattlebreeder Luiz Medeiros dos Santos’ farm in Ruropolis, Para state, Brazil. PHOTO: AFP

    “The corn price has hit one of the highest levels ever seen, making it attractive for Brazilian producers, a factor driving an increase in planting area” for the second harvest, the biggest of the year, said Joao Pedro Lopes of commodity-market analysis firm StoneX.

    Strong global demand and a favourable exchange rate “should allow an increase of 67 per cent in exports” of Brazilian corn in 2022, Conab said.

    The US Agriculture Department meanwhile has predicted that if Brazil’s harvest is as big as expected, the country could pass neighbouring Argentina to become the world’s number two corn exporter this year, trailing only the United States (US).

    “International demand has suddenly appeared for immediate shipment of Brazilian corn, which is unusual for the first half of the year. And demand for the second half has accelerated, too,” said analyst Paulo Roberto Molinari of agribusiness consultancy Safras e Mercado.

    But there is a big downside.

    “There’s no guarantee on the key question of shipping merchandise,” with the maritime transport sector upended by the war, said Cesario Ramalho, head of the Brazilian Association of Corn Producers (Abramilho).

    “And fertiliser supplies are uncertain too,” he told AFP.

    Brazil imports around 80 per cent of its fertilisers – 20 per cent of that from Russia, its leading supplier.

    Belarus, another key supplier and which has supported Russia in the Ukraine crisis, has also been hit hard by Western sanctions.

    Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina said earlier this month that Brazil had enough fertiliser stocks to last until October. She has been negotiating with other major exporters to source more.

    Farmers are already feeling the pinch: the price of a tonne of imported fertiliser skyrocketed in Brazil by 129 per cent from February 2021 to February 2022.

    The fertiliser issue got swept up in a politically loaded debate last week when President Jair Bolsonaro called the Russia-Ukraine war an “opportunity” to pass a controversial bill to legalise mining on indigenous reservations.

    Backers argue the bill would allow Brazil to fully exploit its mineral wealth, including reserves of potassium, a key fertiliser ingredient.

    Opponents warn mining would be disastrous for protected indigenous lands, including in the Amazon rainforest, where they say there is little potassium anyway.

    Bolsonaro said on Friday the proposed legislation would help “integrate our indigenous brothers into society”, adding: “They’re almost like us.”

    Russia’s war idles some European mills as energy costs soar

    MILAN (AP) – Italian paper mills that make everything from pizza boxes to furniture packaging ground to a halt as Russia’s war in Ukraine has sent natural gas prices skyrocketing.

    And it’s not just paper. Italian steel mills, likewise, turned off electric furnaces last week. And fishermen, facing huge spikes in oil prices, stayed in port, mending nets instead of casting them.

    Nowhere more than in Italy, the European Union’s (EU) third-largest economy, is dependent on Russian energy taking a higher toll on industry. Some 40 per cent of electricity is generated from natural gas that largely comes from Russia, compared with roughly one-quarter in Germany, another major importer and the continent’s largest economy.

    Over the past decade, Italy’s dependence on Russian natural gas has surged from 27 per cent to 43 per cent – a fact lamented by Premier Mario Draghi. It will take at least two years to replace, his energy transition minister said.

    Even before the war, Europe was facing a serious energy crunch that drove up costs for electricity, food, supplies and everything in between for people and businesses. Ever higher prices tied to fears that the conflict will lead to an energy cutoff are hitting the continent much harder than the United States (US) because it imports so much of its oil and gas from Russia.

    Fishermen mend nets in front of a fishing boat with a banner reading ‘stop for gasoline increase’, in the Roman port of Fiumicino. PHOTO: AP

    European leaders meeting in Versailles outside Paris discussed ways of easing the pain. Draghi pushed to diversify gas sources, develop renewables and introduce a cap on natural gas prices. He said his foreign minister, who recently visited Algeria and Qatar, was working on new gas markets.

    “We are talking about errors made over many years,” said Francesco Zago, CEO of the Veneto-based paper and packaging manufacturer Pro-Gest. “We get too much gas from Russia. In school, they tell us we need to diversify the sources, otherwise there is a danger.”

    Natural gas prices were on the rise last year as reserves dwindled in Europe, but Zago said his company was able to stabilise prices and continue operating. That changed with the Russian invasion, when already high prices soared from EUR90 a megawatt hour to over EUR300 a megawatt hour.

    “We found ourselves facing huge losses,’’ Zago said.

    To remain profitable, he said they would have had to nearly double prices from EUR680 a tonne to EUR1,200 – not doable on the marketplace.

    He suspended operations at six mills that recycle paper to supply one-third of all of Italy’s packaging needs, and he is keeping a close eye on the energy market to see when production can relaunch. For now, there is still enough stock to keep open the company’s sites that make cardboard boxes and other packaging, supplying industries from food to pharmaceuticals to furniture. But that could run out soon.

    Likewise, Acciaierie Venete shut three of its steel mills for a few days last week as prices spiked to 10 times above normal. The makers of high-quality steel for automotive and agricultural machinery had enough stock to work on finished product, waiting for prices to dip so they could reopen.

    “Never, ever has this happened that we had to shut down ovens,’’ said Francesco Semino, an executive at the steel-making company based in the northeastern region of Veneto.

    The urgency of Italy’s energy situation is trickling down to consumers in the form of higher heating bills, and more recently, rising prices at the pump, with gasoline topping EUR2 a litre this week, or nearly USD6 a gallon.

    Radio call-in shows are soliciting ideas about how to save energy, reviving memories of long-abandoned tricks like ember-fuelled bedwarmers. Italy’s state broadcaster has launched a campaign with lists of how to save energy, including turning off lights, lowering thermostats and regularly defrosting refrigerators, under the motto ‘M’illumino di meno’, or ‘I light up less’.

    Truckers who say they can’t afford higher gasoline prices are set to strike this coming week. Fishermen took the hit last week, deciding not to trawl the waters off Italy, with fishing boats along the entire peninsula moored in port.

    At current prices, it costs EUR1,250 a day to run boats out of Fiumicino, leaving little room for profits after plying the sea for cod, sea bass, sea bream, octopus, squid and shrimp, said Pasquale Di Bartolomeo, who runs one of 22 boats out of the port near Rome.

    Restaurants, he said, will make do with frozen seafood or farm-raised fish. He hopes the prices ease so he can return to work.

    “The family needs to eat, there are expenses,” Di Bartolomeo said.

    Italy decreased its gas consumption from 2010 to 2014, thanks to the addition of subsidised wind and solar power, but reliance on natural gas pushed back up again in recent years as it took polluting coal power plants offline.

    They have been substituted mostly by natural gas as renewables stalled, partly because of Italy’s infamous bureaucracy that has kept many investors away, said Matteo Di Castelnuovo, an energy economist at Milan’s Bocconi University.

    “Italy clearly underestimated the problem of increasing its gas consumption the last few years, and with that, its dependence on Russian gas,” he said.

    The government has pledged to simplify red tape, and this week approved six new wind parks that will produce more than 400 megawatts of energy. Energy transition minister Roberto Cingolani has floated the idea of next-generation nuclear to a reluctant population.

    “Nuclear fusion will not save us from Russian gas,” Di Castelnuovo said, referring to a technology that is still decades away.

    Italy’s dependence on Russian gas can most quickly and effectively be reduced by simple conservation methods, he said, given the time and investments it takes to transition to other energy sources.

    That can include such measures as improving home insulation, using appliances that consume less energy and lowering the thermostat.

    “My heat, my thermostat, is actually paying for Putin’s missiles and bombs,” Di Castelnuovo said. “It is good enough for me to lower it by two degrees and wear a jumper instead.”

    Making headway: Brunei records 5,420 recoveries in a day

    James Kon, Izah Azahari & Fadley Faisal

    The Sultanate recorded 5,420 COVID-19 recovery cases yesterday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 83,761 cases.

    A total of 2,278 new cases have been detected, bringing the national tally of confirmed cases to 114,371. Of this, 2,101 cases were recorded via antigen rapid test (ART) results uploaded to the BruHealth app, while 177 were from the 1,685 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) laboratory tests performed over the past 24 hours.

    Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar said this at the press conference yesterday, adding that the total number of active cases stands at 30,440.

    Four COVID-19 deaths were recorded, two of which were categorised as being COVID-19 related. Of the two, one was unvaccinated, while the other was partially vaccinated.

    The minister extended his deepest condolences to the families, adding “May their souls receive blessings and be placed among the pious.”

    An additional four cases have been placed in Category 4, bringing the total number of cases to 21, while seven remain in Category 5. The total number of Categories 4 and 5 cases at present is 10.8 per cent of the treatment capacity at the National Isolation Centre (NIC).

    Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health Haji Maswadi bin Haji Mohsin at the press conference. PHOTO: SYAHMI HASSAN
    Jong Kui Foh was issued a compound fine for violating the stay-at-home directive in Brunei-Muara District. PHOTO: RBPF

    The bed occupancy rate at isolation centres nationwide is 7.1 per cent, with 252 active cases placed at isolation centres and hospitals. Some 30,188 positive cases are undergoing home self-isolation.

    As of March 13, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme recorded 58.6 per cent of the populace as having received the booster shot, while over 94 per cent have received the first and second dose of the vaccine.

    Meanwhile, the Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) detected one violation during Operasi Peralihan on Monday.

    Jong Kui Foh was issued a compound fine for violating the stay-at-home directive from midnight to 4am in Brunei-Muara District.

    The issue of administering alternative booster vaccines other than Pfizer or Moderna was raised during the press conference, to which Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham said, “The vaccines used in the Sultanate is evaluated by the Ministry of Health (MoH) COVID-19 Vaccine Technical Committee – via peer review journal papers and from the manufacturers themselves, not solely the companies.

    The peer review journals indicate that global experts have assessed the vaccines – with regards to how the study was carried out to detect any biases, and whether the results are confirmed or merely estimations.

    Based on research and peer review journals, the technical committee is confident in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

    “I understand there are many who wish to receive a Sinopharm booster shot. They can request for it and consideration will be given, so long as they understand this is not the recommended vaccine,” the minister said.

    Other countries are administering Sinopharm or AstraZeneca booster shots possibly “because they have been given the data needed. However, as for the Sultanate, the MoH follows the peer review journals and the data it has received”, Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham said.

    “What is important to note is that the booster shot is not forced upon anyone, although it is encouraged,” the minister said.

    Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham also provided clarity on matters related to the requirement of undergoing an RT-PCR test before travelling abroad, explaining that “health and travel protocols depend on each country and airline”.

    “Most countries do not require travellers who formerly tested COVID-positive, to undergo an RT-PCR,” he said, adding that nothing can be done should a country or airline stipulate otherwise.

    The ongoing upgrade of the BruHealth app will allow for the issuance of certificates stating there is no need for an individual to perform a RT-PCR test.

    “The MoH has assigned the Jerudong Park Medical Centre and Panaga Health Centre to issue this certificate to individuals by request,” the minister added.

    Also in attendance was Permanent Secretary at the MoH Haji Maswadi bin Haji Mohsin.

    Riots in Corsica over jailed nationalist leave dozens injured

    BASTIA, FRANCE (AFP) – The French government called for calm yesterday after fierce clashes left dozens of demonstrators and police injured on the island of Corsica, where anger over the assault in prison of a nationalist figure has reached boiling point.

    Police reported 67 people injured during protests on Sunday, including 44 police, following scenes that onlookers described as akin to urban guerilla war.

    Yvan Colonna, who is serving a life sentence for the assassination in 1998 of Corsica’s top regional official, Claude Erignac, has been in a coma since being beaten on March 2 in jail by a fellow detainee, a convicted extremist.

    The incident has stoked anger on the island, where some still see Colonna – who was arrested only in 2003 after a five-year manhunt that eventually found him living as a shepherd in the Corsican mountains – as a hero in a fight for independence.

    Demonstrations and riots have been ongoing since the prison attack, which protesters blame on the French government.

    “French government murderers”, read placards at Sunday’s demonstrations, which brought an estimated between 7,000 and 10,000 people into the streets.

    Colonna was jailed in the south of France. The authorities have long rejected his demand to be transferred to Corsica, saying his offence made him a special status detainee.

    In a bid to ease tensions, Prime Minister Jean Castex last week removed this status. He also said he would allow the transfer of two other convicted members of the hit team that killed Erignac to Corsica but the move failed to placate their supporters. Up to 300 masked young demonstrators used Molotov cocktails and rocks against police, who in turn deployed teargas and water cannon in the clashes that broke out in the afternoon and lasted late into the evening.

    Prosecutor Arnaud Viornery told AFP that police had told the local population to remain indoors in the town of Bastia, where protesters set the tax office on fire with firebombs.

    Protesters throw projectiles during clashes with police in Bastia, Corsica. PHOTO: AFP

    Tom Brady un-retires, will return to NFL’s Bucaneers

    MIAMI (AFP) – Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said yesterday he has changed his mind about retirement and will return to the National Football League (NFL) next season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    Brady won six titles in 20 seasons with the New England Patriots then moved the Bucs in 2020 and led them to a championship.

    But Tampa Bay lost to the eventual champion Los Angeles Rams in January in the playoffs and Brady announced his retirement last month.

    Now superstar quarterback Brady, who turns 45 in August, said he wants at least one more chance at a championship. “These past two months I have realised my place is still on the field and not in the stands,” Brady said in a social media posting. “That time will come. But it’s not now.

    “I love my teammates and I love my supportive family. Without them, none of this is possible. I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa.

    “We have unfinished business.”

    Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians was thrilled to welcome back Brady.

    “Tom Brady loves to play football as much as anyone I’ve ever been around,” Arians said.

    Tom Brady. PHOTO: AFP

    Temporary suspension on cross-border activities extended

    The temporary suspension on cross-border activities has been extended by 16 days, from March 16 to 31, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced.

    The suspension is with the consent of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and in reference to a media release issued by the PMO on the extension of temporary suspension on cross-border activities dated February 26, 2022.

    The suspension applies to the entry of foreign nationals via land and sea ports, including transits through Brunei Darussalam, except for entry and transit travels that have been granted approval by the Brunei Government. Entry and transits through Brunei Darussalam may only be considered for transit vehicles with transit permits issued by the Brunei government, provided the travellers have attained endorsement from their local authorities for their travels, and will be subject to existing entry conditions and procedures, for the following purposes: official government travel; students required to attend school; emergency services (such as ambulances, police and military); and vaccinated foreign-registered transport operators with cross-country permits issued by the Brunei government for import deliveries of essential goods. The suspension also applies to entry and exit-country travels of commuters via land and sea ports for the purpose of work.

    Conditions for the consideration of entry and exit travel are subject to review by the Steering Committee for COVID-19 from time to time.

    For information, visit www.pmo.gov.bn/travelportal or contact travel hotline at 120 during working hours, or e-mail travelapplication@jpm.gov.bn.

    DR Congo train accident death toll rises to 75

    LUBUMBASHI, DR CONGO (AFP) – The death toll in a train crash in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 75, officials said on Sunday, as experts began looking at the causes of the crash.

    Officials on Saturday gave a toll of 60 men, women and children killed in the accident, which happened on Thursday night when a freight service train derailed.

    The new toll came from Fabien Mutomb, head of the state railway company SNCC, after he visited the site with a team assembled to investigate the disaster.

    Of the 125 people injured 28 were in a critical condition, said the Communications Ministry.
    Rail officials have not said what caused the crash, but investigators will be looking at the condition of the track.

    The province’s Interior Minister Deodat Kapenda, who was among those who visited the site, said in a statement on Sunday the accident appeared to have been caused by a sudden loss of traction.

    Mutomb, in his statement, said one possible cause might have been the overloading of the train because of people illegally hitching a ride on it.

    “Measures will be taken to ensure that this kind of incident does not happen again,” and those responsible would be punished, he added.

    On Saturday, the SNCC’s director of infrastructure Marc Manyonga Ndambo told AFP the train had been made up of 15 wagons, 12 of them empty.

    It had been coming from Luena in a neighbouring province destined for the mining town of Tenke, close to Kolwezi, when the accident happened.

    It derailed at 11.50pm on Thursday at the village of Buyofwe, about 200 kilometres from Kolwezi, seven of its wagons plunging into ravines.

    It was carrying several hundred stowaways at the time, said Manyonga Ndambo, speaking by phone from Lubumbashi.

    On Sunday, he said the track had been cleared but the wagons involved in the crash still had to be towed away.

    People regularly jump rides on freight trains to travel across the vast country because of the lack of passenger trains and the difficulties of travelling by road.

    Train derailments are common in the DRC, as are shipwrecks of overloaded boats on the country’s lakes and rivers.

    According to a database maintained by AFP, last week’s accident was the deadliest in the world over the last two years, and the third worst accident in Africa over the last 10.

    The last accident in DR Congo of this kind happened in 2014, when a good train on which several hundred people were travelling derailed at Katongola, in the southeast region of Kataga, killing 136 people.

    Mutomb is expected back in Kinshasa yesterday to report on the extent of the damage, the Communications Ministry said.

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