By Buziwe Nocuze
Twenty-five passengers were injured near Paarl in the Western Cape after a train came off the tracks at about 6.30pm on Tuesday at Dal Josafat station.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) confirmed that the train was travelling from Cape Town to Wellington when the accident happened.
Emergency services, including ambulance personnel, firefighters, and the South African Police Service, were on the scene to assist the injured, who were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
“Other passengers on board were safely transported home, and no fatalities were reported,” Prasa said.
Prasa and Transnet Freight Rail are investigating the cause of the accident, which has also been reported to the Railway Safety Regulator.
Lulo Mdingi, a regular train user, said the incident made him rethink the safety of trains.
“I always prefer trains over other transportation, but this has shown me that accidents can happen anywhere. I’m just glad no one died,” he said.
Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie said: “The SAPS were part of a multi-disciplinary response team that assisted with the rescue.”
Pictured above: The train crash.
Source: X
