Johannesburg - There is no rule that prevents rescuers from accessing the Gautrain rail reserve area in a case of emergency, the Gautrain Management Agency said on Thursday.
Both the driver of the truck that crashed into the Gautrain tracks on Wednesday afternoon and witnesses claimed the passenger who died could have been saved had emergency personnel got permission to enter the rail reserve on time.
The driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle.
He crashed into the concrete barrier and landed on the railway tracks.
The driver, Elijah Nkosi, and passenger, Vusi Mkhwanazi, were trapped in the truck for about an hour.
Mkhwanazi died during that time; Nkosi was rescued.
He later told the Pretoria News that emergency personnel could not reach them in time because they had no permission to enter the rail reserve. He said his passenger was still alive and thus could have been saved had there been swift action from emergency workers.
The truck plunged through the barrier while the two men were on their way back from loading rubble in Muckleneuk. The truck was damaged beyond repair.
However, the Gautrain Management Agency sang a different tune, saying it did not have a rule barring emergency personnel from entering the rail area.
Spokeswoman Kesagee Nayager said that while entry into the rail reserve was strictly prohibited for safety reasons, the rule did not apply in emergency situations.
Last November in a similar incident, a cement truck came down from the hill near Jacaranda Hospital and crashed on the tracks at the same spot.
The driver was critically injured.
In both cases the services between Hatfield and Pretoria Stations were temporarily suspended.
Meanwhile, Tshwane Emergency Services spokesman Johan Pieterse was adamant that they needed clearance from the railway operators.
He said operators had to switch off the tower generating electricity or isolate the lines to prevent emergency services workers from being electrocuted.
“It is a general rule we have with all the railways.
“The electric current can run up to 260 volts, which is highly dangerous for us,” said Pieterse.
Gautrain boss Jack van der Merwe said their teams worked through the night to repair the damage.
“There is a whole police investigation at the moment. Fortunately, the train was not affected. Only one track that has been damaged,” he said.
“We will have to sit down with the Tshwane municipality and talk with them about bringing in speed restrictions, slowing down traffic in that area.”
Normal Gautrain services resumed on Thursday morning.
The Star