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2012 Buenos Aires rail disaster

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2012 Buenos Aires rail disaster
Map
Details
Date22 February 2012 (2012-02-22)
08:33 ART
LocationBuenos Aires
CountryArgentina
LineSarmiento Line
OperatorTrenes de Buenos Aires
Incident typeTrain wreck
CauseUnder investigation
Statistics
Trains1
Deaths51 [1]
Injured703 [2]

On 22 February 2012, a train crashed at Once Station ([Estación Once de Setiembre[3] (September 11 Station), informally Estación Once] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); IPA: [ˈonse]) in the Balvanera barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There were about 1,000 passengers on board the crowded eight-carriage train, which hit the buffers when it failed to stop, crushing the motor carriage and the following two carriages, after approaching the station too quickly, reportedly due to brake failure. 51 people were killed and more than 700 were injured;[1] the dead and seriously injured were in the first two carriages,[4] packed with people who had moved to the front of the train to be near the station exit on arrival.

The Sarmiento Line, on which the incident occurred, is operated by Trenes de Buenos Aires (TBA). It was the second fatal accident on the line within six months, following the 2011 Flores rail crash, and the third deadliest train accident in Argentina's history, after the Benavidez rail disaster in 1970 (which left 142 dead and 368 injured) and the Estrella del Norte train accident in 1978 (which left 55 dead and an unknown number injured).[5]

Incident

Train number 16 was operating the Sarmiento Line Moreno-Once Local Service 3772 on the morning rush hour of the first working day after Carnival holidays [6][7]. The train was reported to be travelling too fast - at about 50 kilometres per hour (31 mph)[8] - on entry to the station. It failed to stop before the end of the track at Once Station[9] and at 8:33 ART crashed into the buffer stops at a speed of 26 kilometres per hour (16 mph). The motor carriage and the following two carriages were crushed;[10] the second carriage was telescoped 7 metres (23 ft) into the first.[4] Several passengers described the impact as an explosion.[11]

Initially a union leader said that the train had been working well, and there had been no problems with the brakes at previous stations.[9] Some passengers reported the same.[11] The driver, 28-year-old Marcos Antonio Córdoba, was taken into custody but later released by the investigating judge over the objections of the prosecutor after declaring under oath "I tried to brake twice, but the mechanism failed." He also activated the hand brake, which also failed.[1] A judicial source said Cordoba told investigators: "At each station he advised the dispatcher by radio that he had problems with the brakes." He reportedly said he was told to keep going. [12]

Emergency response

Several ambulances in the area on the day of the accident, awaiting a ship that had suffered an influenza B outbreak, were used to transport victims to nearby hospitals.[7] People with minor injuries left the accident zone on foot.[7] According to the city's head of civil defence, the rescue was difficult because the hard and complicated structure of the carriages made the task of removing the wreckage difficult.[7]

The train driver survived the crash; he was rescued and evacuated in an ambulance. It took many people to free him from the wreckage.[7] The test of blood alcohol content gave a negative result; further information about his medical condition was subject to reporting restrictions as of 23 February 2012.[13]

The Sarmiento Line did not resume normal operation for several hours. People demanding the reopening of the line threw bottles, sticks and chairs at federal police and soldiers guarding the crash site, though police regained control within a few minutes.[7]

Fifty-one people, including three children, were confirmed dead. More than 700 others were injured.[1]

Reactions

Minister Julio de Vido announced a lawsuit against TBA. The Civic Coalition criticized the legality of such action.

Domestic

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner declared two days of national mourning and suspended the carnival festivities. Mauricio Macri, the chief of government of the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, and the governor of Buenos Aires Province, Daniel Scioli, did the same.[14]

Secretary of Transport Juan Pablo Schiavi announced that the government will investigate the accident. He reported that the driver was well rested at the time of the accident and had very good labour reports. The train's and station's black box and the security tapes were handed to the Justicia Federal de la Capital Federal.[15] Minister Julio de Vido announced that the presidency would initiate a lawsuit against TBA, the owners of the Sarmiento line.[16]

The Radical Civic Union proposed the impeachment of Schiavi, requesting explanations about the state of railway lines, and pointing to previous complaints about the lack of proper state control over the working of the lines.[17] They also urged Congress to create a commission to investigate the case and the responsibilities of the government.[18] The Civic Coalition criticized De Vido's announcement, pointing out that the state cannot be plaintiff as it is involved in the case.[19] The General Confederation of Labour complained about the overall poor condition of the railways, saying that the accident highlighted the problem.[17] The Argentine Workers' Central Union requested the removal of the TBA administration of the train.[19]

International

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom regretted the incident and expressed its condolences to the "families of the victims" and the "emergency agencies that are still working to aid" those in the accident.[20] The Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Mexico sent its condolences to the "sister country of Argentina" and hoped for the "speedy recovery of the families and those injured."[21] Pope Benedict XVI sent his condolences.[22]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Clarín newspaper, 24 Feb 2012: Driver declared and was released from custody: "I tried to brake twice, but the mechanism failed"Template:Es icon
  2. ^ "Identificaron a los 50 fallecidos en Plaza Miserere". Clarín. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  3. ^ Buenos Aires government website: Barrios
  4. ^ a b Einat Rozenwasser (25 February 2012). "Un operativo que resultó eficaz pero que ahora revela fallas". Clarín. Retrieved 25 February 2012.Template:Es icon
  5. ^ "El tercer accidente ferroviario más grave en la historia del país". La Nación. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  6. ^ "Tragedia ferroviaria en Once: ya son 50 los muertos y hay 703 heridos". Infobae. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Descarrilo un tren en Once y hay varios heridos". La Nación. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  8. ^ Warren, Michael (24 February 2012). "Argentine train slams into station, killing 49". Arab News. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Dozens dead, hundreds injured in Argentina as train crashes into platform". RT. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Forty Dead, Up to 550 Injured in Argentine Train Crash". RIA Novosti. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  11. ^ a b ""Se sintió una explosión terrible"". La Nación. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  12. ^ 'Faulty brakes caused' Argentina train crash Al Jazeera
  13. ^ "El test de alcoholemia realizado al maquinista dio negativo". La Nación. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  14. ^ "El gobierno nacional decretó duelo y suspendió el carnaval". La Nación. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.Template:Es icon
  15. ^ "Schiavi: "Si ocurría ayer hubiera sido una cosa mucho menor"". La Nación. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  16. ^ "El Gobierno se presentará como querellante y no descartó medidas administrativas". La Nación. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  17. ^ a b "La CGT expresó su solidaridad con las víctimas del accidente". La Nación. 22 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  18. ^ "Tras la tragedia, exigen al oficialismo que constituya una Comisión de Transporte". La Nación. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  19. ^ a b "La CC pedirá juicio político a De Vido por la tragedia". La Nación. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  20. ^ "Reino Unido lamenta accidente de tren en Argentina". BBC News (in Spanish). 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  21. ^ "México lamenta el trágico accidente ocurrido en Argentina". Presidencia de la República (in Spanish). 22 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  22. ^ "El Papa se manifestó "profundamente afligido" por la tragedia argentina". La Nación. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
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