JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A passenger train carrying individuals house after the vacations slammed right into a truck in rural South Africa on Thursday, killing at the least 12 individuals and injuring more than 260 others, the federal government stated.
Authorities blamed the truck driver for allegedly attempting to cross the tracks simply forward of the oncoming train, a part of which burst into flames after the collision and compelled passengers to hurriedly drag their baggage from the smoking wreck to a close-by street.
“The truck driver was taking possibilities. He thought that he was going to cross by,” Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi informed journalists. “Little did he know that the train was going to hit him. That has value loads of lives.”
At least 12 individuals died and 268 had been injured, 4 of them critically, stated Maswanganyi. He indicated that the demise toll might rise.
The train with 429 passengers aboard had been touring from Port Elizabeth to the nation’s industrial hub, Johannesburg.
Video exhibits a part of the Shosholoza Meyl train in flames after the collision that occurred between the communities of Hennenman and Kroonstad in Free State province. The crash derailed half a dozen carriages, and energy strains had been broken. A big automobile was the wrong way up beside a train carriage that appeared to have partly crushed one other, smaller automobile.
The truck driver emerged unscathed from the accident and the train driver and his assistant suffered minor accidents, stated Mthuthuzeli Swartz, appearing CEO of South Africa’s state-owned passenger rail company.
Swartz informed native media outlet eNCA that the truck towing two trailers was midway throughout the monitor when it was hit by the train and dragged for 400 meters (1,300 toes).
“Human error” brought on the accident, he stated.
An investigation continued.
