Two bodies recovered

Press, 27 May 1978, Page 6

Two bodies recovered

’A Wellington Both bodies in the gravel-filled cab of the derailed 78-tonne locomotive perched 30m above State highway 1 near Pukerua Bay were recovered yesterday afternoon. The DA I class locomotive, which left the line about 6 p.m. on Thursday, southbound on a 45km/h curve between two tunnels, is tethered on a bank by wire ropes, about skm from the track. The bodies recovered were those of

Mate Tawera Maaka, aged 29, the guard, of Pomare, Hutt Valley; Murray Edward Johnson, aged 17, a traffic trainee, of Wainuiomata. After confirming late on Thursday evening that the two trapped men were dead, ana that two others had survived with minor injuries, rescuers held off until yesterday morning because of the danger that the locomotive would crash down a steep bank on to the highway. The road was closed until 7 a.m. and then again at 9

a.m. as work began on retrieving the bodies. Tethered to a retaining wall during, the night by five wire ropes, all that held the locomotive from ploughing down was loose gravel in which it was embedded. The survivors of the derailment are Rongo Harry White, the locomotive driver, of Johnsonville, and Whare Massey, of Thomdon, who were treated for shock and sent home. The Acting Minister of Transport (Mr Templeton) and the Acting General Manager of Railways (Mr

I. Trask) were at the scene yesterday morning. Mr Templeton said it was very sad to see two men were killed, and expressed his sympathy to their relatives.

Mr Trask said he hoped an interim report on the accident could be with the Minister last evening but a full investigation might take more time.

Road and rail traffic will be disrupted during the week-end while . railway engineers try to winch the 80-tonne diesel locomotive back from the edge of the drdp to the road.