Nineteen people were killed and 12 injured in an accident involving a train and a truck at a railway crossing near Somerset West in the Western Cape, Metrorail confirmed on Monday afternoon.
”There are 19 confirmed [dead] and 12 hospitalised,” Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott said.
Earlier reports had quoted a Netcare 911 spokesperson as saying that 27 people had died in the accident.
The accident happened at 7.16am when the truck and trailer carrying farm workers was hit by a Cape Town-bound train en route from Strand. No train passengers were injured in the accident.
”The incident happened at the level crossing to Ridgemore Farm, between Faure and Firgrove stations. According to eyewitnesses, the truck stalled at the crossing,” Metrorail said in an earlier statement.
Meanwhile, the Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) says a preliminary investigation suggests ”the immediate cause of the accident was that the [truck] driver ignored warning signals and proceeded to cross the level crossing, resulting in the collision with the train”.
The regulator said in a statement it had sent inspectors to the scene to work with Metrorail investigators into the cause of the accident. ”We remain concerned at these incidents, and will continue to work closely with operators and other authorities to address the prevalence of accidents at level crossings,” the RSR said.
In its statement, Metrorail said the level crossing where the accident happened ”conforms to legal requirements in terms of statutory warning signage and is protected by stop boards, road warning signs and train-whistle boards”.
Reacting to news of the accident, Cape Town mayor Helen Zille said the city extended its condolences and deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed and injured.
”We encourage the SAPS [South African Police Service] to conduct a thorough investigation in order to establish the exact reason for the truck’s presence in what should have been a closed level crossing,” she said in a statement.
In a separate statement, Western Cape agriculture minister Cobus Dowry said he had instructed the province’s agriculture department ”to assist in every possible way to support the people who are affected through this tragedy”.
Officials from the department were on the scene for this purpose.
”What is apparent is that this specific crossing has been the cause of numerous accidents in the past, and urgent action by the authorities is now required,” he said.
African Christian Democratic Party MPL Grant Haskin called on the employers of the farm workers killed to help with funeral arrangements. The party was ”perturbed as to why only one stop sign was found at such a dangerous intersection”, he said in a statement.
Shortly after 2pm on Monday, Metrorail’s Scott said the line would be reopening for rail traffic ”any minute now”. — Sapa