Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Many of the injured were treated at the scene
More than 850 people have been injured in a train crash during Thursday’s evening rush hour in the South African township of Soweto in Johannesburg, the train operator Metrorail has said.
Witnesses said a commuter train hit a stationary train from behind and that the force threw some of the passengers through the windows.
Three of the casualties were in a critical condition, officials said.
It is reported to be one of the biggest such rail incidents for years.
South Africa’s Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) said it was investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred at 1750 local time (1350 GMT).
‘Screaming’
Local television news pictures showed casualties being treated at the scene by medics – some of them tended to by torchlight.
“Start Quote
It was horrible, I saw people with broken legs, others had cracked their temples”
End Quote Gladwell Ntusi Passenger
Metrorail, which is responsible for running the trains and is heading the salvage operation, told the BBC that 857 people had been injured in the accident.
Medical rescue official Jeff Wicks told the Sapa news agency there had been “chaos” at the scene.
“We had people who were sprayed 200m around the trains… on arrival, paramedics found passengers from both trains lying on the track,” he said.
According to Pretoria News, people lay groaning in the dark, with some waiting more than an hour before being transported to hospital.
Synock Matobako, a spokesman for the emergency services, said they had had to request more ambulances due to the number of casualties.
“This is the biggest incident in recent years, even though no one has died. People sustained serious multiple injuries.”
One of the passengers, Gladwell Ntusi, described hearing a loud bang followed by screams.
“People were screaming, some jumped out of the windows.
“It was horrible, I saw people with broken legs, others had cracked their temples. It was not a nice scene,” he told reporters.
The Metrorail train had been travelling between Mzimhlophe and Phomolong in Soweto.
Follow this link:
S Africa rail crash ‘injures 850’