TRAINS COLLIDE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 29, 29 October 1928, Page 11

TRAINS COLLIDE

DISASTER IN THE ALPS OVER SIXTY PEOPLE KILLED MAJORITY RUMANIANS (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegra ph;—Copy right.) (Australian Press Assn. —Uultetl Service.) Bucharest, October 26. The Simplon Tuuuel express from Bucharest collided with another express near Slatina and was completely wrecked. A sleeping car, two firstclass coaches, a luggage van, and a mail van were smashed. The accident was due to the faulty working of points. It is stated that the death roll is over sixty. It is feared that many have been incinerated. The majority of those dead are Rumanians, and there are no British among the dead. Forty-seven were injured and are in hospital. The majority of those killed are soldiers. All the employees at a nearby station fled at the first appeal for help sent by a passenger with a knowledge of Morse. Meanwhile the uninjured passengers heroically attempted to extricate those injured, while many peasants worked all night. It was necessary to transport the injured many miles, while some remained in the wreckage throughout the night, slowly dying of their injuries. Among those dead is the Rumanian military attache at Paris. The disaster occurred at 2.45 o’clock in the morning. It has not yet been explained how the Bucharest express came to be on the wrong line. The Orient express, one of the world’s most famous trains, rounded a curve at full speed and was confronted by the other express, also at full speed. Both trains were hurled at each other with terrific force, the Orient engine boring right through the Bucharest train before crumpling up into a mass of twisted iron. Both drivers were killed. The leading Orient coaches. Including a luxurious sleeping coach, were telescoped, and the noise is described as having been akin to a wartime mine explosion. It was followed by an outburst of flames as the wreckage caught fire, consuming the leading coach almost like lightning. SIGNALMAN’S ERROR (Australian Press Association.) (Rec. October 28, 5.5 p.m.) Bucharest, October 27. An Inquiry established that the collision was due to the error of a signalman, who has disappeared.