Train plunges into KZN river

[Celine]

http://news.iafrica.com/sa/832091.html

Four people were injured when a goods train plunged into the Amanzimtoti River near Durban on Tuesday, KwaZulu-Natal emergency workers said.

"The raging river has eroded the sand from under the train tracks, causing the train to plunge several metres into the torrent waters," said Netcare 911 spokesperson Chris Botha.

Paramedics arrived at the scene to find the four train staff members severely traumatised, cold and wet.

"After they were stabilised on scene, medics transported them to the Netcare Kingsway hospital for the care that they required," he said.



:wtf: all this rain has washed away the river bank.

 

[Fudzy]

Must've made a cool noise hitting the water... ka-blooooosh.

 

[gregmcc]

Nasty one. Good thing it wasn't a passenger train!

 

[Ninja'd]

Looks like a millipede on its back.

 

[JungleBoy]

Ok, so whose wise idea was it to build a train track so close to the river bank ?

 

[ponder]

Pictures here http://www.looklocal.co.za/lookloca...=4197532&Amanzimtoti-train-plunges-into-river

 

[ponder]

Ok, so whose wise idea was it to build a train track so close to the river bank ?

Been there for ages, rivers widen/change course with time.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Ok, so whose wise idea was it to build a train track so close to the river bank ?

The apartheid government.

 

[Type RSA]

Surely someone should have known that this will happen?

 

[JungleBoy]

Been there for ages, rivers widen/change course with time.

As the river widened over the years why no one bothered to put some flood defence (Sandbags or a bunding wall) in place to protect the track ?

 

[ponder]

As the river widened over the years why no one bothered to put some flood defence (Sandbags or a bunding wall) in place to protect the track ?

Dunno, you will have to ask the people from transnet or whatever they are called these days that question.

Preventative maintenance has not been great as of late I reckon, just have a look at your local roads. Years ago guys drove around with some black stuff (assuming it was tar) they used on fine cracks & stuff in the roads to prevent pot holes etc, these days you have must be happy when they fix a 'sinkhole' 2 months later after many cars have been damaged. Same goes for water/sewage pipes that keep on bursting all the time and the lights going off on a weekly basis due to insufficient capacity. There is zero future planning going on.

 

[Hemps]

As the river widened over the years why no one bothered to put some flood defence (Sandbags or a bunding wall) in place to protect the track ?

That would mean less money for Wabenzi, over seas trips and Salaries.
Same reason I have to avoid over 24 pot holes every day to get to work, a job where I still pay taxes, then drive home to avoid the same 24 potholes where I pay rates, excuse being Money she is gone!

 

[Alan]

They still have those peddle boat things there?

Take one out for a closer look. Need legs like a marathon runner though given the conditions :erm:

 

[dlk001]

Ok, so whose wise idea was it to build a train track so close to the river bank ?

Classic failure in risk consequence management by the train operator. If someone was inspecting the tracks, they would have identified soil erosion as a problem and high rain falls as a trigger.

As you say, they should be actively backfilling the river bank to manage the erosion.

It was a stupid idea to put the track there in the first place.

 

[dlk001]

Ok, so whose wise idea was it to build a train track so close to the river bank ?

Classic failure in risk consequence management by the train operator. If someone was inspecting the tracks, they would have identified soil erosion as a problem and high rain as a trigger.

As you say, they should be actively backfilling the river bank to manage the erosion. It was a stupid idea to put the track there in the first place.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Pity it wasn't the gravy train...

Glad to hear there were no fatalities. Unfortunately this will put a major crimp in logistics...

 

[Gory51]

I think the past 24 hours rain had more to do with this than constant erosion over the years. We have had very high rainfaill, however that being said, this should have been seen as a possible failure scenario based on the location in any Risk Assesments

It will be very interesting to see how this gets recovered.....rail crane? no ways the rails are already at risk. Land crane? No access. Sea crane....not into that small river.

Possibly cut up into scrap or float it out I reckon,

 

[BigAl-sa]

Been there for ages.

Quite correct. Travelled on it 10^3 times before most members of mybb were even born, including after some major storms with 10+m waves.

 

[FNfal]

The rain has been very heave here in the south of Durban .
I was woken up by the neighbor this morning a wall had fallen in to the road from my place
Spent the whole day trying to sort the mess out now the road is usable, my neighbor can use his car again.