The first hypothesis as to why the train accident occurred on the San Martín line
A train accident on the San Martín line broke the monotony of the Buenos Aires morning: a formation with passengers hit a locomotive carrying an empty van 10 minutes later in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo. Due to the incident, about 30 people were transferred to various hospitals in Buenos Aires and another 60 were treated at the scene, although they did not suffer any serious injuries.
First information assures that an accident occurred 100% due to human error Within the framework of the lack of operation of the automatic signaling system.
Sector sources said infobae The driver who was driving the train with passengers received the right to travel on that track, despite the fact that the locomotive was stopped on the road. Drivers received written notice to proceed, No signal since last 10 days due to cable theft.
“They have been asymptomatic for 10 days, so they are giving written information. Since the automated circuit does not work it is done manually. They sent a locomotive with a boxcar and gave way to the formation with passengers behind. And this is where the impact happens,” sources confirmed.
Precisely the field signalman who gives the authorization to the Palermo station assistant to enable the movement of the structure with passengers, confirmed this information by this means and stressed that the operation of the automatic signal system had been disrupted due to the theft of the cables. Deficiency causes great difficulties. , ,In normal operation, with signals, this does not happen,” he said.
The accident will be investigated by the National Criminal and Federal Correctional Court No. 11, presided over by Julian Ercolini.
Magistrate Related expertise handed over to the Federal Policewill prepare a report together with National Transportation Safety Board To establish the causes and details of the accident.
Efforts will be made in this way define responsibilities And, as a result, possible charges. One of the primary tasks will be to determine whether the accident was caused by human error or a technical problem.
This scenario was confirmed by Omar Maturano, head of La Fraternidad, the union that brings together the machinists. “There was a locomotive standing alone there. The driver who carried the passengers and caused the collision was given written permission. We have been working like this for 10 days because the signaling cables have been stolen, we are demanding their repair but there are no spare parts. The company is in complete ruin. There are no spare parts for the signals, but not for the trains either,” he said in the statement. Radio 10.
The accident occurred this Friday at 10:31 am near the viaduct located on Dorrego and Figueroa Alcorta avenues in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo. SAME issued a red alert and deployed a major operation in the area: Thirty people were transported with various types of injuries. Another 60 people were evaluated at the scene, but it was determined that they did not require hospitalization.
“The formation was completely evacuated and the injured were transferred to Fernández, Pirovano, Rivadavia, Santojani, Durand, Torno, Ramos Mejía and Gutiérrez hospitals.”, official sources said. A police officer aboard the train was transferred to Churuca.
Alberto CrescentiThe head of SAME assured: “The main thing is that we have not had any deaths, the dogs have examined the most complex cars due to impact and found nothing,
Crescenti further explained that he participated in 100 peopleOf which 30 are in “Code Red” and had to be transferred to regional hospitals. Two of them suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to Santojani by helicopter.
Trenes Argentinos reports that a formation of the San Martín Line – with seven cars – collided with a locomotive and an empty van car, at 10:31 pm, at kilometer 4,900 – at Alcorta Avenue – on the Palermo Viaduct.
The incident occurred for reasons that are the subject of investigation and as a result, the van traveling next to the locomotive derailed. As a result of the incident, service is provided between Villa del Parque–Pilar stations.
Emergency personnel from the city of Buenos Aires -SAME- and firefighters are working to evacuate those who were victims of the collision.
So far, as reported by health officials present at the scene, there are at least 60 people with injuries of varying severity.