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Spoornet to probe train crash
27/10/2005 09:59 - (SA)
Johannesburg - Spoornet has begun an investigation into the collision between the Blue Train and the Trans Karoo express in the Northern Cape on Wednesday night.
"Spoornet has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident," Molatwane Likhethe, the company's spokesperson, said in a media statement on Thursday.
He said no deaths were reported when the trains collided at Deelfontein station between De Aar and Victoria West at 23:07.
The number and extent of injuries was not immediately clear.
"Preliminary reports indicate that 16 passengers sustained minor injuries. Those injured were evacuated to hospital in De Aar," said Likhethe.
The Northern Cape health department said five people were critically injured when the two trains collided head-on.
Two of the five were flown to Bloemfontein, the head of the Northern Cape health department, Deon Madyo, said on Thursday.
He said the five were among 25 others who were admitted at a hospital in De Aar, about 20km from the accident scene.
"We have flown a team of doctors from Kimberley to De Aar to help there. We are currently coping with the disaster," he said, adding about 65 paramedics were at the scene.
Earlier on Thursday, the police said the Trans Karoo's driver was seriously hurt in the accident.
Captain Zandisile Makhuphula, the police spokesperson in De Aar, said 74 people aboard the hotel-on-wheels and 182 in the Trans Karoo 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.
At least two Japanese tourists number among the injured.
No-one was killed in the accident.
Earlier, Likhethe said the Blue Train was stationary at the time of the collision and the Trans Karoo was travelling slowly.
Ahead of schedule
The Blue Train, which was ahead of schedule, was whiling away time when the accident happened, Likhethe said.
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.
United Transport and Allied Trade Union general secretary Chris de Vos said his union wanted to be part of the investigation.
"We will request the rail safety regulator and the chief executive of Spoornet, Siyabonga Gama, to include our union as part of the investigation because both train drivers are our members and we want to ensure that this is not a finger pointing exercise and that we look at the real cause of the accident to prevent such an incident again," De Vos said.
He added that 80% of rail accidents took place when "abnormal working conditions" prevailed.
He was informed that the accident resulted from a failure in the signals system and the absence of a back-up system to prevent human failure.
A Spoornet team, including Gama, Likhethe and "a number of executive managers", left Johannesburg just after 03:00 by helicopter to visit the scene.
The railway line in the Deelfontein area has been closed. Some of the passengers were bussed to their destinations, Spoornet spokesperson Michael Asefowitz said.
- SAPA
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