Cape Town - A week after a man was electrocuted while on the roof of a Metrorail train, another man has died while apparently trying to jump on to a moving train.
It’s believed the 41-year-old man was trying to get on the train at Netreg Station as it set off.
But he missed his mark and fell between two carriages on to the track, where the train rode over him.
Captain Fredrick van Wyk said an inquest had been opened for investigation.
“At about 6.30am, Bishop Lavis police attended a scene at Netreg Railway Station, where they found the body of a 41-year-old man from Gugulethu,” Van Wyk said.
“According to witnesses, the victim was trying to board the moving train by jumping in between coaches.”
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott also confirmed the incident.
“We can confirm this incident is being investigated by (police),” she said.
“Except for the train involved in the incident, there were no delays as a result of the incident.
“We used alternative platforms enabling the train service to continue.”
Metrorail has been plagued by a series of fatal incidents over the past few months.
On September 8, Bonteheuwel resident Abdul Aziz Bruce was shocked to death on a train’s roof at Netreg station.
The father of three was late for his train, and jumped on top of the roof with 50 other people because the train was overcrowded.
On September 6, Jeremy Coetzee, 32, was heading to work in Retreat when he fell out of a packed train between Eikefontein and Brakenfell Stations.
Driver Piet Botha was robbed and killed while waiting at Netreg Station in July. Two men have been arrested.
And on September 2, driver JD Joubert shot and killed one of four men who tried to rob him at Kraaifontein station in the early hours of the morning as he was reporting for duty. Joubert was also attacked in August and was so traumatised that he quit his job after 42 years of service.
The United National Transport Union (Untu) has accused the Passenger Railway Agency of SA (Prasa) of gambling with the lives of train drivers and passengers, and demanded it step up security measures.
Daily Voice