Sensational Railway Smash

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 227, 26 September 1935, Page 6

Sensational Railway Smash

Mixed Train Piled up in the

South

narrow escape of 50 SCHOOL CHILDREN

Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Last Night,

A serious train derailment occurred on the main luvereargill-Ghristchurch line early this evening when the mixed afternoon train from Invercargill to Clinton was almost completely derailed af the foot of the long ’ncline between Kamahi and Edendale. Almost the whole train, including four carriages, carrying some 70 passengers, left; the rails and the carriages together with 12 loaded and six empty trucks were piled up in the greatest confusion.

The first two carriages were occupied by 50 secondary school pupils who suffered a shaking but escaped serious injury. Only three children received injuries requiring attention and none of these was too seriously hurt to proceed to their homes, .tho tuu carriages ioiiji.c.l immediately alter two empty petrol wagons which caused no anxiety, but a tiro occurred in the second carriage as a result of a gas-lighting cylinder being forced through the flooring. The lire was quickly extinguishe d The timber was splintered and raised about tho centre of this carriage to a height almost level with the bottom of tho windows. This would probably have caused serious injury to the children had not the carriage been of the old type with longitudinal seating, as a result of which the occupants were rocketed to the front end of the carriage in a heap. The front carriage came to rest across the permanent way against a pile of smashed trucks, a great deal of glass being broken. The platforms of the three carriages were telescoped and the cars divorced from the bogeywheels. The permanent way was torn up for a distance of 55 yards and splinters of trucks, bogey wheels and the cargo of lime, limber and coke were piled up in great confusion in front of the carriages. When the breakdown crew arrived late in the evening the indications were that tho line would take a considerable time to clear.

I’assengcrs by the soul!.-bound express from Christchurch were transferred to tho relief train and proceeded to Invercargill, arriving 90 minutes late. It was stated to-night that passengers for the north to-morrow would bo taken as tar as the scene of the accident and transferred to another train.