'I'll fly next time'

2005-10-28 09:22

Charles Smith

De Aar - Neville King of Bothasig, Cape Town had a choice of travelling by bus, train or a plane - he chose the train. But when he returns home after his holiday, he'll definitely fly.

King was asleep when the Shosholoza Meyl (Trans Karoo express) collided with the stationery Blue Train at Deelfontein Station shortly after 23:00 on Tuesday.

"I fell out of the bunk when the trains collided. I got up and helped the injured driver from the wreckage. His hips were injured. I'm feeling fine," he said.

Frans and Margaret Labuschange of Polokwane were on their way home after touring the Cape. They were still awake when the train jerked several times.

"There was a bang, a loud bang. A man next to us suffered a serious back injury. We helped him and gave him painkillers. He was groaning a lot. He must have fallen from the bunk."

A 'large bump'

Rocky Graffe of Johannesburg came to the aid of the injured man, apparently called Sakkie. "He was in pain. I gave him a light massage," she said.

Shosholoza staff helped cover the injured drivers, who'd been removed from the wreckage, with blankets.

Chris Golding and his son Johnny, 15, of England were unfazed by the accident.

Golding, who was sleeping on the bottom bunk, fell off on impact. He wasn't injured. Johnny thought they'd gone over a "large bump".

Frans Pritchard, 65, and his wife Hester, of Elsies River, were on their way to Pretoria to surprise his brother on his 60th birthday. He fell and hurt his back when the trains collided.

He was expected to be transferred from Central Karoo Hospital to another hospital by air ambulance on Thursday.

- Die Burger