NINE KILLED.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18676, 27 April 1926, Page 9

NINE KILLED.

VICTORIAN CROSSING SMASH. I FATAL PICNIC OUTING. MOTOR-VAN AND TRAIN COLLIDE (BT CABLE—PBESS ASSOCIATION—COPrKIOHT.) (AUSTBALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION ) (Received April 27th, 12.20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, April 26. The holiday was marred by a disastrous accident on the Ferntree Gully line to-night, when an electric railway train dashed into a large motor-van crowded with picnickers. The van was smashed to. splinters, and its human freight scattered and mangled by the on-rushing train. The smash happened about six o'clock. Details arc as yet meagre, but so far as is known, nine people were killed, and fifteen or sixteen injured, several seriously, and it is foared that when the work of extricating the victims from the wreckage is completed, the death roll will be added to. The collision occurred at the level crossing at Boronia. Nine bodies hae been sent to Melbourne, but have not yet reached the City and their identity will not be known till a very late hour. j DETAILS OF DISASTER. RESCUE WORK DIFFICULT. (AUSTBALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received April 27th, 1.20 a.m.) MELBOURNE, April 26. The accident is the most disastrous m a series of similar level crossing smashes in the history of the Australian railways. Fern Tree Gully is a great rendezvous of picnickers, and to-day being the Labour Day holiday many motor-van and other parties visited the spot. The scene of the disaster i'b two miles on the Melbourne side of Fern Tree Gully station from which the train started, giving it time to get up a good rat© of. speed. It struck the motor-van with tremendous force, heeled it over, and then cut through it and its living freight, dragging the debris a considerable distance before it could be brought to a standstill. The mangled bodies, and the wounded were pinned among the debris moaning and screaming, and mixed in an inextricable mass. i The work of extricating the injured and the dead was difficult, and those who escaped death or injury were so shaken and unnerved by their terrible experience, and heartrending surroundings that they were unable to render much help. With the assistance of holiday-making parties and people living in the vicinity, the rescue work proceeded slowly. The wounded were removed from among the wreckage, and were given medical aid as soon as possible, and sent on to Melbourne where the dead were also forwarded. It was a late hour before this work was completed, and at the time of cabling the identification of the victims was not available. The wrecked van carried 24 passengers, including a number of women and children.