Eight die when train strikes school bus in Argentina

[News_Editor]

Eight die when train strikes school bus in Argentina

2011-11-03 07:50:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

BUENOS AIRES (BNO NEWS) -- At least eight people were killed on Wednesday when a freight train collided with a school bus in central Argentina, officials said. Most of those killed were school girls.

The freight train struck the bus which was carrying around 40 girls in the town of Zanjitas, located in the central province of San Luis. The students were heading to a spiritual retreat in the town of Cazadores de Mendoza when the accident happened.

Authorities said the train smashed into the middle of the bus, pushing it more than 150 meters (164 yards) down the tracks. The train, which was carrying coal from Mendoza to Buenos Aires, partly derailed and tipped over on its side.

A police official said the train driver and his companion are in custody pending an investigation, although it was not immediately clear how the accident happened and who was responsible. The train driver was hospitalized after being injured in the crash, reports said.

Police confirmed that two adults and six girls aged between 10 and 11 were killed in the accident. However, some local media reports said that seven girls and only one adult were killed.

Most of the passengers on the bus sustained some degree of injuries, including five who are in a critical condition. All the victims were transported to San Luis city, which is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the scene of the accident.

San Luis Governor Alberto Rodríguez Saa declared two days of mourning in the province.

In September, at least eleven people were killed when two passenger trains and a bus collided in Buenos Aires province. More than 200 people were also injured.

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