The blue-striped carriage lay wrapped around the edge of a nine-floor apartment building like a discarded sheet of plastic. Two other railway carriages were lodged underneath and against it as rescuers scurried around trying frantically to respond to cries for help.
Shares in West Japan Railway (JR West) slumped 3,85% on Monday on the news that at least 50 people were killed when a commuter train it operates derailed and smashed into an apartment building. Four carriages were derailed in the collision, leaving more than 300 people injured, police said.
After starting firmer on Monday, the JSE Securities Exchange (JSE) turned around during the course of the morning session and was in negative territory at midday. The gold-mining index, which was down 2,8%, was the main culprit. An equities trader said the strong rand was weighing on dual-listed stocks.
A skydiving cinematographer was killed after his legs were severed in a midair collision with the airplane he had jumped from, authorities said. Albert ”Gus” Wing III had already deployed his parachute on Saturday when he struck the left wing of the DHC-6 Twin Otter propeller plane at about 180m, a witness on the ground told police.
Moroka Swallows, Jomo Cosmos, Bush Bucks and Mamelodi Sundowns all won their Premier Soccer League matches on Sunday. Swallows beat Lamontville Golden Arrows 2-0 in their hard-fought game at the Rand Stadium, while Cosmos escaped the chop by beating Bloemfontein Celtic 1-0 at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium.
Relegation-threatened Jomo Cosmos eased their blues when they beat Bloemfontein Celtic by an odd goal in a tightly contested Castle Premier League tie at the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium on Sunday. Hilton Cunha scored the only goal of the match in the 69th minute from a long clearance.
Wayne Rooney scored to help Manchester United to a 2-1 win over Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday — their second win over the Magpies in as many weeks. In Sunday’s other match, Lomano LuaLua scored twice in five minutes as Portsmouth beat Southampton 4-1 to keep their local rival bottom of the standings.
Residents of Johannesburg and some parts of Pretoria woke up on Monday to a landscape shredded by a hail storm. Hailstones of up to 3cm in diameter pelted southern Johannesburg, parts of Randburg and northern Pretoria on Sunday night, South African Weather Service forecaster Evert Scholtz said.
Vijay Singh, newly inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, defeated John Daly on the first play-off hole on Sunday to become the first player to win back-to-back Houston Open titles. Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain finished third on 277.
A young rugby supporter was seriously injured when he fell from a stand at the Loftus rugby stadium in Pretoria at the weekend. Braam van Wyk (21) was admitted to the Muelmed hospital in a serious condition on Saturday after a three-storey plunge on to a concrete parking area.