Four people were killed and around 300 were injured when two trains collided near Mountain View train station in Pretoria, South Africa.
Emergency responders’ group, Netcare911, said that injuries suffered by people ranged from minor to moderate, but one person sustained critical injuries and has been airlifted to a hospital in Pretoria.
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According to Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng, two trains were travelling on the same line from Mabopane to Pretoria.
Authorities are investigating the reason for the accident.
Transport Minister Blade Nzimande blamed the accident on signal failure caused by alleged cable theft, which is a major problem for the railways.
Stolen cables are melted into ingots and smuggled to Asia.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, trains operating between Pretoria, Mabopane and Dewildt have been temporarily halted.
All commuters with weekly and monthly tickets can avail bus service until the train service is restored.
This is the latest in a series of rail accidents in the country. In October 2018, hundreds were injured after a train travelling from Johannesburg to Pretoria smashed into a stationary train.
Another train collided with a lorry at a level crossing near Kroonstad in Free State province almost a year ago. This accident led to the death of 19 people and left over 200 people injured.
In 2016, close to 500 people were killed on the country’s railways network, according to the Railway Safety Regulator.
