A statement from CFL, to which the Lusa news agency had access on Tuesday, stresses that the situation leaves the line without technical and safety conditions for the circulation of trains between the cities of Luanda and Dondo.
"The malicious action occurred between Saturday and Sunday and now a technical team from CFL is already on site to return the stolen material and restore the technical conditions for the circulation of trains on that branch line," the statement said.
In statements to Lusa, CFL spokesperson, Augusto Osório, said that a report was made to the local police, stressing that the theft of these screws may be linked to the practice of illegal sale of iron material to steel mills, a phenomenon that has been observed in recent years in the country.
According to the Luanda Railroad, the act of sabotage happens at a time when the company is preparing to re-establish the circulation of passenger trains between the two cities, a situation that is allied to the "recrudescence of the stoning of the new locomotives of type GE-C30" in Luanda.
"The CFL alerts local administrations and other authorities in law to the gravity and danger posed by the continuation of these reprehensible actions, which could lead to the derailment of trains and the loss of hundreds of human lives and public and private property," the document stresses.
The link between Luanda and Dondo was suspended about a year ago due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The Luanda railroad, which is 479 kilometers long, links the provinces of Luanda, Kwanza Norte and Malanje.
