At least 80 people and many more were injured in the horrific train crash near Santiago de Compostela in Galicia yesterday.
The incident is reminiscent of a similar accident in which a Japanese conductor, worried about being late, pushed the train over the speed limit years ago.
This time however, the conductor apparently has confessed to be traveling at more than double the speed limit in a zone that requires caution and reduction of speed. A cctv video showed the train trying to negotiate a steep curve when the middle and rear portion of the train jumped the tracks, carrying the rest of the train with it, and slamming against a retaining wall.
The conductor in fact, was so eager to show his friends of his speed he even sent a picture of the speedometer stuck at 200 km per hour to his friends and posted it on Facebook back in March, and apparently was proud of flouting the speed rules.
The train was carrying 247 people from Madrid to Ferrol. The conductor has already been placed under investigation.
Rescuing people in the wreck is almost impossible and firemen are working feverishly. Many victims have been crushed below another car. Firemen are having to cut out metal just to get to the bodies or survivors.
Many people feared terrorism right away. But then the video was aired, removing all doubt.
The incident renews calls for mandatory speed limits, and for mechanisms that would prevent a conductor from failing to observe those limits, especially in the case of a bullet train, and during condition that can make derailment easier, as in very hot summers or frigid winters.
Source : Al Jazeera/La Stampa/ 7.25.13
No comments:
Post a Comment