VIADUCT COLLAPSES

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 163, 11 June 1926, Page 7

VIADUCT COLLAPSES

EXPRESS TRAIN DERAILED. TRAGEDY AT MIDNIGHT. SIX KILLED, THIRTY INJURED. (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received June 11, 8.50 a.m. SYDNEY, Juno 11. Owing to the collapse of a wooden viaduct between Togar and Aberdeen, about 180 miles north of Sydney, tho Brisbane express, which left Sydney yesterday afternoon, was derailed shortl" before midnight. Six were killed and over '3O injured, some criticaliy. Medical aid sent from Scone and Muswellbrook. The injured who were able to be moved were sent to hospital at those places. LIST OF THE VICTIMS.

The dead are as follow: Miss B. Dalziell, of Toowoomba, Queensland; Mrs Bennett, of Mosman, Sydney; Fyrhan Monsour, an Assyrian; a man named White, of Queensland, and an unidentified man. _ Tho critically injured are: Mr Ward Morgan McTor, who had both legs broken; and Mrs Alice Nicliolls, of Manly. The Queensland train consisted of two engines, a van and seven There were 143 passengers aboard. An official statement showed that the leading engine and four carriages went off tho line, and the assisting engine toppled on its side. The accident was caused‘by three spans of the wooden viaduct collapsing when the train was passing over it. The viaduct crosses a ravine 25 feet deep. CRASH INTO RAVINE.

The first engine crossed safely, but the viaduct collapsed under the second engine and tho first carriage and the engine crashed into the ravine, followed by the next two carriages. It was fortunate that the first engine and the third carriage kept to the track, thus preventing further wreckage and additional casualties. The viaduct is within a short distance of the Hunter river. Owing to the darkness the work of rescuing the injured proved very _ difficult. The searching of tho debris had to be suspended for some time after one o clock this morning. AWAITING THE DAMN.

The rescue parties built camp fires and awaited tho dawn. The passengers travelling in the sec-ond-class carriage, which was next to the engine, appeared to have suffered most. Tiie carriage was split in two; one part is still standing and the other is overturned. . . . Most of the dead were found in this carriage. The fourth carriage uas tilted down through the viaduct. APPALLING SCENES.

Appalling scenes were witnessed after the disaster. Flares, motor car headlights and other methods of illumination were used to throw light on the wreckage. Some people were so seriously injured that they could not bo moved from the spot. Tlioso less seriously hurt, after treatment at the hospitals, were accommodated in private houses. The permanent way was torn and twisted. The driver and fireman of the second engine had remarkable' escapes. Both were buried beneath the coal when the engine overturned. Ihe fireman suffered a broken jaw, and the driver minor injuries and shock. 1 ress Association. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. PASSENGERS ASLEEP AT TIME. Received June 11. 1-20 p.m. SYDNEY, June 11. Among the passengers m the wrecked train were J. C. Williamson s “Katja the Dancer” (musical comedy) company, numbering bet weep 30 and 40 members. Mr "Ward Morgan was the only one seriously injured. Sevoral others, including Miss Marie Burke, the leading lady, are slightly injured or are suffering from shock. Many passengers were asleep at the time of tho collision,. In consequence of the darkness and the complete nature of the wreck it was hours after the smash before tho victims neic recovered from the wreckage. Tho latest official message at four o’clock this morning gives the number of killed at seven, but it is expected that the casualty roll will be increased when all are extricated. An unofficial message states that eight were killed. —Press Association.