(From Santiago, Chile) A security camera recorded the precise moment of the railway tragedy occurred in Saint Bernard early this Thursday, between a convoy loaded with more than thousand tons of copper and a passenger train who was doing speed tests, an accident that left two dead and nine injured.
In the video it is possible to see the passenger train that passes quickly towards the north and a few seconds later, the shocking collision with the freight train coming in the opposite direction. The violence of the impact was such that the first machine was left mounted about the second.
A witness to the event, called Laurahe told the radio Bío Bío that “we were passing on the highway and I saw a freight train. Shortly after, the freight train hit the passenger train and the last car behind it lifted it about five meters. Was impressive sound that caused the impact,” he explained.
The prosecutor in charge of the case, Pedro Aravena, aimed from the beginning at a human failure due to a coordination problem from the Central where railway movements are monitored.
“For reasons unknown, from the Central was not notified “That this freight train was coming north, and the train that collided, which was coming from north to south, which did not come with passengers, was not informed that this train was coming and the impact occurred,” said the pursuer.
The two crew members of the freight train died immediately. The body of one of them was ejected after the collision, while firefighters had to work unsuccessfully to rescue the body of the second victim from the twisted iron of the completely destroyed cabin. They were 58 and 43 years old.
Meanwhile, the nine crew of the passenger train suffered injuries of varying degrees, but out of life risk. Among them are four citizens of Chinese nationality, who carried out the speed tests together with their colleagues from the State Railway Company (EFE).
According to prosecutor Aravena, those who were on the passenger train saved by miracle since, with the imminence of the crash, “the nine people they went to the last car and thus they were able to save their lives. “If the crew members of the passenger train had been warned about the freight train, they would have reduced their speed to avoid the accident,” he said.
He machinist of the passenger train and a road control officer of the railway were detained, accused of quasi-crime of homicide and serious injuries. Both went to detention control on Thursday, but the San Bernardo Guarantee Court decided to extend the formalization for this Saturday at 10:30 a.m.since there are still pending proceedings.
Victoria Ramírez, captain of the SIAT Prefecture, pointed out that the cause of the accident “is still under study. “We have to collect a lot of information, a lot of evidence, which is important to be able to determine it, but basically their arrest is due to the responsibility that they bear in this railway accident,” she concluded.
Mario Palmalawyer for the driver of the passenger train, pointed out that his client is a victim further of this tragedy.
“My client, as we maintained at the hearing, is a person who meets the characteristics of a victim rather than an accused, and we maintained it that way because fundamentally his participation conforms to the existing protocols within railway traffic established with a week in advance to carry out these passenger train tests,” Palma said.
Furthermore, he pointed out that “as a passenger railroad driver, was authorized at all times to make that journey”.
