DURBAN - THE Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is urging people to cross railway lines where it is safe to do so.
This was after two men escaped with minor injuries when the eThekwini Municipality bakkie they were travelling in was smashed on the side by a train.
“Luckily no one was injured, but motorists and pedestrians need to understand that trains cannot stop immediately like motor vehicles can, so people should always be careful when crossing railway lines,” said KwaZulu-Natal’s Prasa spokesperson Zama Nomnganga.
According to Nomnganga, the incident caused a delay in the train route because of the time needed to clear the track of debris.
Nomnganga urged people to use safe level crossings and foot bridges for their safety, because level crossings were not only monitored, but also had boom controls.
The two men, allegedly in their 40s, were in the vehicle on the railway track when a train crashed into it at the Klaarwater Train Station.
“ER24 paramedics arrived on the scene to find the bakkie smashed against the side of a passenger train. The two men from the bakkie were walking around their vehicle when the paramedics arrived,” said Emergency Medical Care’s (ER24) communications officer Russel Meiring.
The two men sustained minor injuries and were transported to the nearest hospital.
“Medics assessed the patients and found that both men had sustained minor to moderate injuries. Fortunately, no one from the train suffered any injuries,” said Meiring.
Local authorities arrived on the scene and are investigating the matter.
“A case of reckless and negligent driving is being investigated by Mariannhill SAPS. It is alleged that on Wednesday morning, a vehicle with two occupants was crossing the railway line in Klaarwater, when it was hit by a train,” said police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele.
Daily News