Cape Town - A train driver and his assistant were injured when a long section of a freight train derailed at Sir Lowry’s Pass Village on Tuesday night after a tree fell on to the tracks.
The assistant was seriously injured, said Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith on Wednesday morning. The two were taken to a local hospital.
Smith said he received reports that diesel was spilled when the cargo train derailed.
Transnet spokesman Michael Asefovitz said the rail service was not able to do anything to clear the rails overnight as police had asked for personnel to be withdrawn because of community unrest in the area.
“We are hoping to go in and remove the two locomotives laying on their side and upright the other three. The train driver was released from the hospital on Wednesday morning, but the assistant has damages to his rib,” Asefovitz said.
Meanwhile, the Congress of the South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has postponed a protest action planned for Wednesday against Metrorail until July 12.
Cosatu’s Tony Ehrenreich said the strike was postponed because the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) did not give the union a certificate for a legal protest due to a “technical legality” in the application process.
Cape Argus