The tragedy that occurred on Monday, November 17, 2025 at the Tié-Tié station, in the third district of Pointe-Noire, claimed the lives of two people and highlighted, once again, the glaring shortcomings in safety along the railway network.

🩸 The Tragic Course of the Accident

The two victims, whose identities have not been released, were fatally struck by a train belonging to the Congo-Ocean Railway (CFCO). The accident occurred as they attempted to illegally cross the tracks to reach an informal market located on the other side.

According to witnesses, a young woman stepped onto the railway tracks just as the train was starting to move. Panicked, she was unable to get out of the way.

A man, alerted by her cries for help, reportedly rushed to her aid. Tragically, in their desperate attempt to escape the locomotive, the two were struck and thrown beneath the carriages. The young woman was decapitated, while the man succumbed to massive blood loss following an amputation caused by the impact.

🛑 The Inevitable Clash: The Technical Reality of the Railway

This accident underscores the harsh physical reality of rail transport. CFCO locomotives, designed to haul goods and weighing several tens of tons, possess such inertia that an emergency stop is almost impossible over a short distance.

As one railway worker pointed out, " A person is no match for a moving train ." For drivers, powerless against such intrusions onto the tracks, these events represent genuine psychological trauma, because even when an obstacle is spotted, the speed and mass of the train make any evasive maneuver or rapid stop futile.

📈 A Worrying Series of Accidents

The Tié-Tié tragedy is unfortunately not an isolated incident, but rather part of a worrying trend of increasing train accidents in the Republic of Congo. According to Ignace Nganga, CEO of CFCO, this surge has been evident for the past five years:

1. 2021: 2 collisions recorded at level crossings.
2. 2022, 2023 and 2024: The number has increased to 4 accidents per year.

💡 Call for Urgent Action: Security and Awareness

Faced with this string of incidents, the issue of infrastructure security and user awareness has become a pressing concern. Local authorities and CFCO management are under pressure to act on several fronts:

1. Clearance of the areas surrounding the railways: Makeshift markets , which are set up haphazardly in the immediate vicinity of the tracks, constitute critical danger zones and must be moved.
2. Strengthening signage: It is imperative to put in place clearer and more visible signage at crossing points.
3. Delineation of prohibited areas: Areas adjacent to the tracks must be clearly marked and delimited to prevent unauthorized public access.

Preventing future tragedies requires a proactive policy combining public respect for safety rules and a commitment from authorities to protect vital infrastructure.