At least 34 people were killed when a passenger train left the rails near Sidi Yahia du Rharb 23 kilometres (16 miles) from Kenitra, Morocco on Thursday (23 May).

First reports said 46 people had died, but this was later modified. Another 138 people were injured, 33 of them seriously.

The diesel locomotive and three carriages were wrecked in the accident which happened just as the train approached the station at Sidi Yahia. The train was on a scheduled run from Fez in central Morocco to Casablanca.

Rescuers took several hours to sort through the wreckage to recover the bodies and injured people.