Influential Moroccan minister killed by train near Rabat

USPA News - Moroccan Minister of State Abdellah Baha, an influential leader of the ruling party and the right hand of prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane, was killed Sunday when he was struck by a train near the capital Rabat, the government said on Sunday. Baha, 60, was killed at around 6 p.m. on Sunday after he left his vehicle and was struck by a train as he crossed the train tracks in Bouznika, a town about 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) southwest of Rabat.

The country`s interior ministry said an investigation was launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the accident. There were no immediate indications of foul play. Baha was an influential leader of the ruling moderate Islamist party, the Justice and Development Party (PJD), and was a close friend of prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane. Baha was elected to parliament in 2002 to represent the capital before being appointed PJD`s vice secretary general in 2004. After Benkirane took office in late 2011, Baha was also appointed minister of state.