At least 7 killed, more than 170 injured in Argentina passenger train and bus accident

[News_Editor]

At least 7 killed, more than 170 injured in Argentina passenger train and bus accident

2011-09-13 23:22:43 GMT+7 (ICT)

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (BNO NEWS) -- Two passenger trains and a bus collided in Argentina on Tuesday, killing at least seven people and injuring nearly 200 others, officials said.

The incident occurred at around 6:30 a.m. local time in Las Flores, located within Argentina's Buenos Aires Province, on Artigas street, when the passenger bus was hit by a Sarmiento train. The impact caused the passenger train to derail and hit another train in the town's Porteño neighborhood.

Argentina's Federal Police spokesman Fernando Sostre confirmed that seven people had died during the accident. However, he warned that the death toll could rise as several other victims were reported in critical condition. In addition, over 170 people have been reported injured as well.

Vehicles and personnel from Argentina's Medical Attention Emergency System (SAME) arrived at the scene and shifted the injured to medical centers, as emergency teams worked to free several people that remained trapped. Among those already rescued was the train's conductor.

Sostre said the emergency is ongoing as over 50 ambulances and 10 firefighting teams have been attending to victims at the scene. SAME chief Alberto Crescenti said around 50 people have been reported seriously injured. The injured were transported to Alvarez, Piñero, Santojanni and Durán hospitals, but their capacity has reached their limits.

The reason of the incident has not been confirmed, but Buenos Aires' Trains Institutional Manager and External Communications Manager Gustavo Gago said the driver of the passenger bus tried to cross the tracks while the protective beams were signaling no crossing. A malfunction was speculated in the protective beams, but Gago confirmed that the signaling was working properly.

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