200+ hurt in Blue train crash
2005-10-27 08:05
Johannesburg - Dozens of train passengers suffered injuries in an overnight head-on collision between the Trans Karoo express and the luxury Blue Train at Deelfontein.
The driver of the Trans Karoo was seriously hurt in the accident about 20km south-west of De Aar in the Karoo, said police spokesperson Captain Zandisile Makhuphula.
He said 74 people aboard the hotel-on-wheels and 182 travelling in the Trans Karoo express were injured in various degrees. Most appear to have escaped serious injuries.
A Sapa reporter at De Aar said 24 people were hospitalised in the town.
Three were to be evacuated by air ambulance to Bloemfontein, one to Cape Town and two to Kimberley.
Blue Train stationary at time of collision
At least two Japanese tourists number among the injured.
No one was killed in the accident.
Spoornet spokesprson Molatwane Likhethe said the Blue Train was stationary at the time of the collision and the Trans Karoo was travelling slowly.
The accident apparently happened around 23:30 when the Blue Train, which was ahead of schedule, was whiling away time.
The Trans Karoo was apparently diverted onto the same track and the two met head-on.
The Blue Train is South Africa's premier luxury train and the Trans Karoo is the flagship Cape to Gauteng train.
In 1998 and 1999, it was voted the world's leading luxury train at the World Trade Awards.
A Spoornet team, including Likhethe, left Johannesburg just after 03:00 by helicopter to visit the scene.
By 07:30 they were still under way.
- SAPA