The Magude train disaster occurred on 27 March 1974 in Magude, Portuguese Mozambique, when a train carrying passengers from

Rhodesia Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...

collided head-on with a Mozambican freight train, causing an explosion that killed 70 people and injured 200. At the time, it was the worst rail disaster in Mozambique's history.

Overview

In the early morning or evening of 27 March 1974, a southbound train carrying passengers from Rhodesia crashed head-on with a stationary northbound Mozambican freight train that was holding, among other things, petroleum products. The crash occurred in Magude, Portuguese Mozambique, some miles north of the capital, Lourenço Marques (now Maputo). The collision caused the petroleum products aboard the freight train to explode and shower burning oil over several coaches of the passenger train. The extreme heat caused the affected cars to melt, killing the passengers inside. Several passengers from the coaches that were not burning attempted to save some of the victims, but were forced to turn back due to the flames. On the day of the collision, it was reported that 60 passengers were killed. Several days later, police reported 70 deaths and around 200 injuries. The event was believed to be the worst rail disaster in Mozambique's history, later surpassed by the

Tenga rail disaster The Tenga rail disaster of May 25, 2002 occurred at Tenga, Mozambique, Tenga 40 km north-west from Maputo, Mozambique causing 192 deaths and 167 injured. Overview The train comprised carriages containing 600 people and several wagons loade ...

with 192 deaths. President William Tolbert of

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

sent his condolences to Mozambican Prime Minister Joaquim Chissano.

References

{{1974 railway accidents 1974 fires 20th-century fires in Africa 1974 in Mozambique Explosions in 1974 Explosions in Mozambique Fires in Mozambique Maputo Province March 1974 events in Africa Railway accidents in 1974 Train collisions in Mozambique 1974 disasters in Mozambique

Overview

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References