WATCH: One dead in Horison’s tourist train nightmare

In a tragic turn of events, a Main Line passenger train and Transnet goods train collided just after the Horison train station on Wednesday evening, 12 February.

Some time between 9pm and 9.20pm, the Premier Classe passenger train was given the green light to continue its journey from Cape Town to Johannesburg. Just after passing Westgate, the passenger train collided with the stationary goods train, resulting in several carriages derailing.

The Premier Classe train departed from Cape Town on Tuesday, 11 February, carrying 36 passengers, five of whom disembarked in Kimberly. This left 31 passengers (predominantly tourists and foreign nationals) and 14 staff members on board at the time of the accident.

Watch here: 

https://www.facebook.com/charlene.l.walker.9/videos/10156759624261674/

Residents and security guards who were on the accident scene said they had heard a huge noise, and initially didn’t know what it was. When they realised what had happened, residents called emergency services before notifying the Horison Block Watch and CPF.

ER24 was on scene shortly after 9.20pm, at which point Rescue Services set up a triage area and began tending to the victims. While most of the passengers were able to disembark through other carriages, it was soon discovered that an elderly couple was trapped in one of the derailed carriages of the passenger train.

Also read:

https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2015/04/28/one-dead-240-injured-in-train-crash/

Assessments showed the elderly woman to be in a critical condition; the man, however, unfortunately had sustained fatal injuries and showed no signs of life. Sadly he was declared dead on scene.

Netcare 911 responded at approximately 9.39pm, along with City of Johannesburg EMS, Gauteng EMS, and several others.

Rescue personnel spent more than two hours working to free the trapped woman and her husband. Once she was freed, paramedics provided advanced life support interventions before she was airlifted to Netcare Milpark Hospital by a Netcare 1 Specialised Air Ambulance for further treatment.

Three passengers were transported to Netcare Krugersdorp Private Hospital after being assessed, and the remaining patients declined ambulance transportation.

The driver of the passenger train, and his assistant, thankfully were unharmed.

Watch here:

https://www.facebook.com/charlene.l.walker.9/videos/10156759624351674/

Main Line Passenger Services teams were on scene and conducting investigations to establish the cause of the accident.

The Passenger Rail Association of South Africa (PRASA) arranged alternative transport for the passengers in order to get them to their various destinations.

All the passengers were out of the train by approximately 1am on Thursday morning, 13 February, at which point the Forensic Pathology Unit members of the Roodepoort Police were able to start assessing the scene.

Once the various emergency services were done, they began to leave the scene at approximately 1.40am.

Nana Zenani, Senior Manager for Communications at PRASA said that all necessary measures will be put in place to provide the guests and staff involved in the accident with full support. “Main Line Passenger Services management wishes to express our heartfelt apologies to the guests and staff,” said Zenani.

The details are currently being investigated, and updates will be posted as they are received.