A passenger train and goods train collided head-on just outside King William’s Town yesterday, killing two people and injuring dozens.
A Shosholoza Meyl train from East London to Johannesburg came to a screeching halt at 11am when it collided with the goods train at Hanover just outside Berlin.
More than 60 people had to be rushed to hospitals in East London and Bhisho as a thick pall of smoke rose in the sky.
Within an hour emergency workers were trying to free 25 trapped passengers and tending to the dozens more casualties.
More than 20 ambulances were sent to the scene by the provincial Emergency Medical Services and Alderson’s and Dynamic private ambulances, while five fire trucks and more than five police vehicles were on site.
The health department also sent a number of helicopters to help ferry passengers to hospitals.
Mbulelo Tona and his two-year-old son were among the lucky passengers to walk away without a scratch. He was in the fourth carriage from the back.
“It all happened so quickly. There was a loud bang and there was a tremble so intense that it felt like an earthquake. The train came to a halt,” said Tona.
When he looked out of the window he saw the black smoke. “I saw one carriage lying on its side and I knew we were in an accident.”
Tona, a regular train user, is grateful their lives were spared.
“A woman sitting in front of me had her little girl sleeping on the seat. When the train trembled she fell to the floor hard.”
Tona said the train left East London station just after 9.30am. He was to disembark in Queenstown.
“When I realised what was going on, I told everyone who was close to me that we should get out as soon as possible.
“Luckily the doors were not locked and we managed to get out. I have never seen anything like it.”
For more than an hour after the collision, emergency workers had no access to passengers because electric power to the train had to be disabled. Most had been moved from the train by 2.30pm but three people remained trapped.
They were eventually extracted around 4pm. Two were dead.
EMS district manager Simphiwe Bokoda said the jaws of life were used to reach the trapped people.
The head of the passenger train ended up on top of the goods train while the passenger carriages protruded on the other side.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the extent of the injuries of those hospitalised was not clear, although six were known to be in a serious but stable condition.
“The head of the goods train was completely destroyed on impact,” Kupelo said.
Late yesterday afternoon the access road to Life St Dominic’s Hospital in Southernwood was closed to traffic as three critically injured patients were rushed there.
Hospital Manager Laro Fourie said their conditions were unknown but his staff were busy with their assessments. “As soon as we have more information we will give it to you,” he promised.
Another passenger who spoke to the Daily Dispatch at the scene, Leticia Louw, said she and her young granddaughters were still shaken by crash.
Maude Mabi, who lives on a farm nearby, described the sound of the impact as “louder than thunder”.
“It was like a mine was collapsing and we could hear it from our farm which is about 1.5km away.
“It is really sad that people were trapped in the train.”
The Daily Dispatch learnt that even the train track had been bent in the impact. Efforts to remove the trains will be made today.
Norma Ngqaleni, who lives in a village near the track, said she had never seen a wreck like that before.
“We heard screeching and we did not know what was going on.
“We normally see such things on TV and we never thought it would happen here,” she said.
Pupils from Philip Mtwyaku Senior Secondary School, who were passing the scene, spent most of the afternoon waiting to see what would happen to the wreckage. — Additional reporting by Vuvu Vena
PHOTO GALLERY: Two killed in head-on train crash
A Shosholoza Meyl train from East London to Johannesburg came to a screeching halt at 11am when it collided with the goods train at Hanover just outside Berlin.
More than 60 people had to be rushed to hospitals in East London and Bhisho as a thick pall of smoke rose in the sky.
Within an hour emergency workers were trying to free 25 trapped passengers and tending to the dozens more casualties.
More than 20 ambulances were sent to the scene by the provincial Emergency Medical Services and Alderson’s and Dynamic private ambulances, while five fire trucks and more than five police vehicles were on site.
The health department also sent a number of helicopters to help ferry passengers to hospitals.
Mbulelo Tona and his two-year-old son were among the lucky passengers to walk away without a scratch. He was in the fourth carriage from the back.
“It all happened so quickly. There was a loud bang and there was a tremble so intense that it felt like an earthquake. The train came to a halt,” said Tona.
When he looked out of the window he saw the black smoke. “I saw one carriage lying on its side and I knew we were in an accident.”
Tona, a regular train user, is grateful their lives were spared.
“A woman sitting in front of me had her little girl sleeping on the seat. When the train trembled she fell to the floor hard.”
Tona said the train left East London station just after 9.30am. He was to disembark in Queenstown.
“When I realised what was going on, I told everyone who was close to me that we should get out as soon as possible.
“Luckily the doors were not locked and we managed to get out. I have never seen anything like it.”
For more than an hour after the collision, emergency workers had no access to passengers because electric power to the train had to be disabled. Most had been moved from the train by 2.30pm but three people remained trapped.
They were eventually extracted around 4pm. Two were dead.
EMS district manager Simphiwe Bokoda said the jaws of life were used to reach the trapped people.
The head of the passenger train ended up on top of the goods train while the passenger carriages protruded on the other side.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the extent of the injuries of those hospitalised was not clear, although six were known to be in a serious but stable condition.
“The head of the goods train was completely destroyed on impact,” Kupelo said.
Late yesterday afternoon the access road to Life St Dominic’s Hospital in Southernwood was closed to traffic as three critically injured patients were rushed there.
Hospital Manager Laro Fourie said their conditions were unknown but his staff were busy with their assessments. “As soon as we have more information we will give it to you,” he promised.
Another passenger who spoke to the Daily Dispatch at the scene, Leticia Louw, said she and her young granddaughters were still shaken by crash.
Maude Mabi, who lives on a farm nearby, described the sound of the impact as “louder than thunder”.
“It was like a mine was collapsing and we could hear it from our farm which is about 1.5km away.
“It is really sad that people were trapped in the train.”
The Daily Dispatch learnt that even the train track had been bent in the impact. Efforts to remove the trains will be made today.
Norma Ngqaleni, who lives in a village near the track, said she had never seen a wreck like that before.
“We heard screeching and we did not know what was going on.
“We normally see such things on TV and we never thought it would happen here,” she said.
Pupils from Philip Mtwyaku Senior Secondary School, who were passing the scene, spent most of the afternoon waiting to see what would happen to the wreckage. — Additional reporting by Vuvu Vena
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