Fire on Cape Town train
2012-10-05 11:47
Cape Town - One carriage was destroyed when a fire broke out on a train at Brackenfell railway station early on Friday morning, Cape Town's disaster risk management centre said.
The fire, caused by an electrical fault on the overhead power supply line, which started around 03:00 when the train was at the station at William Dabs street, spokesperson Wilfred Solomons-Johannes said.
Two fire engines and one rescue vehicle were sent to the scene and managed to contain the blaze. With Spoornet they had to isolate the power supply as a safety precaution due to the raging fire.
The fire disrupted numerous trains operating between Muldersvlei and Bellville, as well as trains travelling from Malmesbury.
Metrorail was providing buses to commuters. It was also diverting trains travelling from Wellington via the Stellenbosch railway branch.
Engineers had declared the area safe and one of the lines had been opened at Brackenfell.
Further information was available from the city's transport centre on 0800-65-64-63.
- SAPA
