Six people injured in North West freight and passenger train collision

Six people have been injured in a collision between a passenger and a freight train on a stretch of track that runs close to the R502 outside Leeudoringstad in the North West Province on Saturday morning.

According to ER24, paramedics arrived on the scene just after 5am along with the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the Fire Department and found that several coal cars had derailed in the collision and the passenger train’s engine had caught fire.

The fire was quickly extinguished by the Fire Department.

“Luckily very few people were on board the passenger train and only six people in total were treated for minor injuries. Two men in their 30s were transported through to a private hospital in Klerksdorp for further care. The other four were treated on-scene by the Provincial Services but declined transportation to the hospital,” said ER24.

The cause of the collision is unknown, the relevant rail authorities were on the scene for further investigations.

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