TRAINS CRASH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20508, 9 January 1935, Page 1

TRAINS CRASH.

83 Casualties in Collision. SIGNALS IGNORED. INJURED SUFFER SEVERELY IN WINTRY WEATHER. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received January 9. noon.) MOSCOW, January 8. Sixteen persons were killed and 67 injured yesterday when a sleeping car express from Leningrad to Tiflis crashed into another express from Leningrad to Moscow on the main line, 140 miles south of Leningrad. The first train was compelled to slow down owing to a defect and the second train ignored the signals and crashed into the rear of the first train, telescoping three cars. The Tiflis train caught fire and the wind fanned the flames, as rescuers smashed the debris in an attempt to release imprisoned passengers. The whole train was burnt out. The engine-driver, his two assistants, the stationmaster and two pointsmen were arrested. Both those who were injured and those who escaped injury suffered severely in the wintry night before the arrival of relief trains with doctors and nurses. DILAPIDATED SIGNALS. (Received January 9, 11.50 am.) BERLIN, January 8. It is reported from Moscow that the entire signalling system on the Lenin-grad-Moscow line has been dilapidated for many months. The signalmen's requests for repairs were ignored, and therefore the engine-drivers did not heed the signals.