According to officials, at least 49 people have been killed and more than 600 injured in the worst train crash in Argentina in 40 years.
The train hit the end of the platform at Once station in the capital Buenos Aires during the morning rush hour. Dozens of people were trapped for hours in the wreckage but all have since been taken to safety. Two days of mourning have been declared and planned carnival festivities in the country have been cancelled.
Unlike here in Malaysia, train lines in Argentina are not state-owned and many parts of Argentina's rail network are antiquated and in need of repair. This incident will increase concern about lack of investment in the system.
In September 2011, 11 people died when a commuter train in Buenos Aires hit a bus crossing the tracks and then hit a second train coming into a station.
This latest accident is Argentina's worst train crash since February 1970, when a train smashed into another at full speed in suburban Buenos Aires, killing 200 people.
Source: BBC.co.uk, including images
i saw this in the paper this morning too!! wow, that's really a serious crash~~
ReplyDeleteMost unfortunate.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who's ridden the train there knows that the conductor slows down in certain spots because of the uncertainty of maintenance in the area, and rarely goes beyond a quick bicycling speed in any case. I'm not surprised, but likely the Portenos are ready for anything.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill, thanks for the insight. Good to hear from a local.
ReplyDelete