Dozens dead, hundreds injured in Argentina as train crashes into platform

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Published time: February 22, 2012 15:56
Edited time: February 23, 2012 06:09

Police and rescue workers transport an injured man on a stretcher after a train crashed at Once train station in Buenos Aires on February 22, 2012 (AFP Photo / Juan Mabromata)

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Accident, South America, Vehicles

At least 50 people are reported dead and over 600 injured after a train crashed in a busy station in Buenos Aires. Dozens were trapped inside a damaged carriage but were eventually rescued.

According to reports the passenger train was going too fast and failed to slow down approaching the station. At the time it hit the platform its speed was 26 km/h. The train hit the stopping barrier of the platform, crushing the front carriage. The engine and first car were crushed together. One of the carriages was driven nearly six meters into the next.

Passengers said windows exploded as the tops of the train carriages became detached.

Between 1,000 and 2,000 people were traveling on the train. Police say 50 were killed, including one child. Around 30 passengers remained trapped for several hours in the train but all have now been taken to safety. Buenos Aires TV stations showed emergency workers cutting through the roofs of carriages in order to evacuate them.

Argentina’s transportation authority said 461 of some 600 injured were taken to hospital.

Officials in Buenos Aires say the train was in good order and the brakes worked well. It is not yet clear what exactly caused the accident.

“This train left the shop yesterday. From what we know, it braked without problems at previous stations,” Ruben Sobrero, union chief on the Sarmiento line, told Radio La Red.

Argentina has decreed two days of mourning following the accident and cancelled the official carnival celebrations that were due to take place on Friday, the Buenos Aires Herald reports. President Kristina Fernandez de Kirchner has expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.

Reuters / Enrique Marcarian

Comments (23)

Mahlknecht 23.02.2012 14:15

...wait and see, they're going to put the blame on the driver to save the "sistem"

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Md Farzduqe Ali Zoq 23.02.2012 12:25

It is very sad and a big tragedy for argentinian people I on behalf of my whole country show condolence and pray,may god give them courage to overcome from this as soon as possible........

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Kretina 23.02.2012 12:18

There are 2 separate issues here. First, the people (the citizens) of Argentina are intelligent, hardworking, and actually very resourceful. Second, the government of Argentina is one of the most corrupt and disastrous governments to ever have existed. Here are some facts: they opress their own citizens, tax you to death, do nothing to protect the people of their country, crime, drug trafficking, protests, economic disasters every few years, devaluations, lies on a daily basis, constant contamination of natural resources, a system of bribes and blackmailing, many government employees placed in high level positions by family members and friends (nepotism), goverment employees who collect large salaries without ever going to work, dirty broken streets, sidewalks, godforsaken public hospitals, shortages of everything, worthless currency, should I go on? Putting anything in the hands of the government of Argentina is only a licence for them to steal from everyone, destroy everything they touch! They will never do anything for their citizens except exploit and steal from them. Argentina is nothing but a huge FAILURE and until they get rid of their corrupt government the country will continue to be a FAILURE, CORRUPT and a DISASTER that the entire world laughs at! Cristina Kirchner and her children Florencia and Maximo are millionaires, their personal wealth has increased to more than $8o million US dollars while the Kirchners have been in office by selling public lands and keeping the profits, they are CORRUPT people CORRUPT and keep them away from everything they only steal and destroy! And they are responsible for EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE DEATHS ON THE TRAINS!!

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