A passenger train in South Africa has smashed into a lorry at a level crossing between the towns of Hennenman and Kroonstad killing at least 14 people, injuring 180 and throwing several carriages off the rails
• South Africa train crash leaves at least 14 people dead and scores injured </s> Fourteen people have been killed in a collision involving a train in South Africa's Free State province, according to a train service official cited by Reuters.Emergency services posted details of the accident on Twitter, stating that initial reports indicated at least 100 had been injured. The number of injured was later revised to 260.The incident occurred between the towns of Hennenman and Kroonstad.The death toll has risen from earlier reports of four up to 14, and may increase. "It is not yet confirmed but the death toll for now is sitting at 14." Daisy Daniel, spokesperson for Shosholoza Meyl, said.Local media report that the train caught fire after colliding with a truck and another vehicle. Images shared on social media show significant damage to the train.The train, operated by Shosholoza Meyl, was reportedly on its way from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg. </s> According to the local emergency services, two trains have collided in Pretoria, leaving at least two people dead.

"We have got two confirmed fatalities, and we have got different emergency services on site", an emergency services official said, according to Reuters.

A video from the site has appeared on Twitter. </s> Four people have been killed and scores injured in a collision involving a train in South Africa’s Free State province, according to emergency services attending the scene.

Emergency services posted details of the accident on Twitter, stating that initial reports indicated at least 100 had been injured. The incident occurred between the towns of Hennenman and Kroonstad.

Local media report that the train caught fire after colliding with a truck and another vehicle. Images shared on social media show significant damage to the train.

The train, operated by Shosholoza Meyl, was reportedly on its way from Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg. </s> JOHANNESBURG - A number of fatalities have been recorded and at least 800 people injured following a train crash in Mountainview, northwest of Pretoria.

Tshwane emergency services are on the scene and treating some of the patients.

It is understood that two locomotives collided on Tuesday morning.

EMS acting chief Charles Mabaso says officials have also recorded some fatalities. </s> The scene of a train collision at the Mountainview station in Pretoria, South Africa

The scene of a train collision at the Mountainview station in Pretoria, South Africa

THREE PEOPLE HAVE been killed and more than 600 people have been injured after two passenger trains collided head on during in South Africa’s capital city Pretoria.

Two critically injured people were airlifted from the scene of the crash in Mountain View, northern Pretoria, spokesman Charles Mabaso told AFP.

Another 641 people were hurt, with 11 sustaining critical injuries and 62 suffering “moderate” injuries.

“The current fatalities stand at three, but it still might rise,” said Mabaso.

When paramedics arrived on the scene, they found carriages from both trains tilting half off the track.

“Numerous passengers were found either in the trains or found walking around on the scene,” Russel Meiring, a spokesman for the ER24 emergency services, said in a statement.

Rail accidents are common in South Africa. In 2016-17, 495 people were killed on the country’s railways, according to the Railway Safety Regulator.

Transport Minister Blade Nzimande said the accident was caused by signals failure which he blamed on cable theft.

“I’m truly saddened about this continuing deaths of commuters at Metrorail,” said the minister after visiting the scene of the crash.

“I’m personally outraged … we can’t every time be having the repeat of the same problem.

“As government, we have to bring this to end. We need more stringent measures to be able to deal with this situation.

“We need to find a way of dealing with rail safety,” he said, demanding explanation from the country’s rail agency.

The theft of railway cables is a continuing problem in the country. They are often melted into ingots before being smuggled to Asia.

Khanyisile Kweyama, the chairwoman of the board of the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, admitted that the security of rail signalling cables “hasn’t been” great. </s> At least 12 people were killed as a passenger train caught fire after colliding with a truck near Kroonstad city in South Africa’s Free State Province on Thursday, the BBC reported. Around 180 people have been seriously injured in the incident, rescue workers said.

The police arrested the driver of the truck, who tried to flee, a passenger told eCNA news site. Around 850 passengers were evacuated from the train, which was headed to Johannesburg, said the police.

Video footage showed at least one carriage, a crushed car and an overturned truck on fire.

“Those with serious injuries are being transported to the hospital,” private emergency services company spokesperson Tebogo Magoro said. </s> A passenger train carrying people home after the holidays slammed into a truck in rural South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 260 others, the government said.

Authorities blamed the truck driver for allegedly trying to cross the tracks just ahead of the oncoming train, part of which burst into flames after the collision and forced passengers to hurriedly drag their luggage from the smoking wreck to a nearby road.

"The truck driver was taking chances. He thought that he was going to pass through," Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi told journalists. "Little did he know that the train was going to hit him. That has cost a lot of lives."

At least 12 people died and 268 were injured, four of them critically, said Maswanganyi. He indicated that the death toll could rise.

The train with 429 passengers aboard had been traveling from Port Elizabeth to the country's commercial hub, Johannesburg.

Video shows part of the Shosholoza Meyl train in flames after the collision that occurred between the communities of Hennenman and Kroonstad in Free State province. The crash derailed half a dozen carriages, and power lines were damaged. A large vehicle was upside down beside a train carriage that appeared to have partly crushed another, smaller vehicle.

The truck driver emerged unscathed from the accident and the train driver and his assistant suffered minor injuries, said Mthuthuzeli Swartz, acting CEO of South Africa's state-owned passenger rail agency.

Swartz told local media outlet eNCA that the truck towing two trailers was halfway across the track when it was hit by the train and dragged for 400 meters (1,300 feet).

"Human error" caused the accident, he said. </s> Four people are dead and hundreds more were injured when two trains collided during the early morning rush hour commute in Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday.

Hundreds of commuters remain trapped inside the carriages and emergency response officials say the number of fatalities might rise as the wreckage is being cleared.

Abramjee/Twitter via Reuters

Shawn Herbst, the media liaison officer of Netcare 911, a private emergency medical response company, told ABC News there were about 800 people on the two trains and more than 620 sustained minor to moderate injuries. One person was critically injured and airlifted to a local hospital.

Abramjee/Twitter via Reuters

Emergency workers from the City of Tshwane are helping to treat the wounded and free the trapped passengers.

The city's mayor, Solly Msimanga, sent his condolences to the victims' families via his official Twitter account.

A sad day in @CityTshwane

We send our condolences to the families of those who passed on and we wish all those injured a speedy recovery#Mountainviewtrainaccident pic.twitter.com/UzNt7AGpOR — Solly Msimanga (@SollyMsimanga) 8 January 2019

Accident investigators are combing the scene for clues about the cause of the accident in a probe that is expected to last for several days.
Two passenger trains collide in Pretoria, South Africa, killing at least four people and injuring at least 620 others.