FIVE KILLED: 30 INJURED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17057, 11 June 1926, Page 5

FIVE KILLED: 30 INJURED

SYDNEY-BRISBANE EXPRESS DERAILED. „ ACCIDENT OCCURS AT MIDNIGHT. (Blec. Tel, Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received June 11, 10 a.m.) SYDNEY, June 11.; Owing to the collapse of a wooden viaduct between Togar and Aberdeen, about. 180 miles north of Sydney, the Brisbane express, which left "Sydney yesterday afternoon, was derailed shortly before midnight. .. - -- Five persons were killed and over 30 injured, some critically. Medical aid was sent from Scone and Muswellbrook, and the injured who were able to be moved, were sent to hospital at those places. Details at present are meagre. THE DEAD IDENTIFIED. CAUSE OF THE DISASTER. VIADUCT pOLLAPSES* APPALLING SCENES. (Received June 11. noon.) SYDNEY, June. 11. Those dead through the-railway accident are:— ..... Miss P>. Da'ziell,' of Toowoomba, Queensland. Mrs. Bennett, of Mosman, Sydney. Fyhran Monsour. an Assyrian. A man, named White, of Queensland, and an unidentified man. .The critically injured are: \ ' Ward Morgan, actor, who has both leers broken. Mrs. Alien Nicholls, of Manly. • Tho Queensland train consisted of two engines, a van and seven carriages. There were 143 passengers aboard. - The official statement showed that thfe loading engine and four carriages went off the line and the assisting engine toppled on its side. VIADUCT'S COLLAPSE, The accident was caused by , three spans of a wooden viaduct collapsing when the train was passing over it. The viaduct crosses a ravine 25ft. deep. The first engine crossed safely, but the viaduct collapsed under the second engine, and the first carriage and engine crashed into the ravine, followed by the next two carriages. ' It was fortunate the first engine and third carriage kept the track,-thus preventing further wreckage and additional casualties. The viaduct is within- a short distance of the Hunter river. / THE WORE OF RESCUE. Owing to the'darkness.'„the work of rescuing the injured proved very difficult, and the searching of the debris had to bo suspended'for some time. .After one o'clock this morning . the rescue parties built camp fires and awaited the dawn. Passengers travelling in, a second-class carriage, which was next to the engine, appeared to have suffered most. . The carriage was split in two and ono part is still standing • the other overturned.; Most of the dead were found in this carriage. The fourth carriage was tilted down through thfe viaduct. SCENES OR"HORROR

Appalling scenes were witnessed after the disaster. Flares, motor-car headlights, and other methods of illumination, wero used to throw light on the wreckage. Some people were so seriously injured that they could not be moved from the spot. Those less seriously hurt, after treatment at hospitals, were accommodated in private "houses. The? permanent way is torn and twisted. The driver and fireman of tho second engine had remarkable escapes. Both were buried beneath the coal when the ongine overturned. "The fireman suffered a broken jaw and the driver minor injuries and shock.