Accident of train Sarmiento

The train Sarmiento accident

 By: Dolores Mergel

from National Geographic.

The day that the accident occurred was on the 22 of February 2012. It was in Argentina, Buenos Aires, at the Once Station.

The cause of the accident, was that the train was travelling too fast, about 50km per hour, and on the entry to the station it failed to stop before the end of the track at Once Station, and at 8:33 crashed into the buffer stops at a speed of 26km per hour.

There were about 1,000 passengers on board when the crowded eight-carriage train, whose working brakes were not activated, hit the buffers at the end of the line, crushing the motor carriage and the following two carriages, after approaching the station at a speed of 26Km per hour. Fifty-one people were killed and more than 700 were injured; the dead and seriously injured were in the first two carriages.}

Several ambulances were in the area, at the time of the accident, and were used to transported victims to nearby hospitals.

Secretary of Transport Juan Pablo Schiavi announced that the government will investigate the accident. He reported that the driver was well rested at the time of the accident and had very good labour reports.

We were lucky to be able to ask some questions to Florencia Rodriguez, a woman that was present in the exactly moment of the tragedy.

In the train, was there a member of your family?

- I am glad that no, they were all in their houses. My son of 23 was at his work in Capital, my husband had the day free, and my daughter was at school, because she is a teacher.

You were near the station?

- Yes, I was going to go to my work. I was in the entrance of the station. Many people were around me.

You see when the train crashed?

No, I was taking my ticket. The train was travelling so fast, that few people see it coming.