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TZANEEN: Unsung rescue heroes thanked four years after train disaster
The train driver that was entrapped in the derailed freight train in Politsi, today, four years ago on July 12 2013, went to say thank you to the heroes of The Mopani Fire and Rescue Services who saved his life.
A freight train carrying millions of liters of diesel derailed near Politsi on July 12 in 2013.
The derailment caused havoc for local emergency services.
The train driver, Prince was trapped under the train for more than eight hours.
The train was en-route from Polokwane to Tzaneen transporting 26 diesel tankers derailed near Letaba Packers just before 17:00.
Due to the impact of the crash the cabin where the driver were seated tore into the embankment. Half of the driver’s body was buried underground, trapping him under the cabin.
The steel cabin weighed about 80 tons and could not be lifted to free the man.
The rescue team had to dig to free him from under the wreckage.
A rescue operation that kept the heroes of the day busy for 9 hours.
Prince was freed between 01:00 and 02:00 on Saturday morning.
This week on Tuesday July 11, the train driver, Prince visited the Disaster Centre in Tzaneen to say a big thank you to the heroes of the day who freed and saved him.
Keep an eye on the next issue of Letaba Herald for the interview with these rescue workers, who despite their hard work, rarely gets a thank you.
Prince thought otherwise…
