| Aracaju train crash | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | March 20, 1946 |
| Location | Aracaju |
| Country | Brazil |
| Operator | VFF Leste Brasiliero[1] |
| Type of incident | Derailment |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Passengers | 1000 |
| Deaths | 185 |
| Injuries | 300 |
The Aracaju train crash, which occurred on March 20, 1946 is the worst ever rail disaster in Brazil; killing 185 people[2] and injuring 300 others[3]. The accident happened near Aracaju, capital of the coastal state of Sergipe, 800 miles northeast of Rio de Janeiro[2].
The train concerned was a suburban service operating between Aracaju and Capela[4] and carrying about one thousand passengers[2]. The locomotive, baggage car and three passenger cars[5] were derailed whilst descending a steep incline near Aracaju[2], most of the dead being "smashed within the cars", "Many bodies were mutilated so badly that identification was impossible"[5].
Grief-stricken relatives came to the scene and nearly lynched the surviving locomotive engineer who depending on the source either took refuge in a police station[3] or fled the area later to surrender in the town of Laranjeiras, Sergipe[2]. The train conductors also fled[5].