| Blackheath train accident | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | 25 August 2010 |
| Time | 07:03 |
| Location | Blackheath, Blue Downs, Western Cape 26 km (16 mi) ESE from Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
| Rail line | Bellville–Stellenbosch |
| Operator | Metrorail |
| Type of incident | Level crossing accident |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 1 |
| Deaths | 10 |
| Injuries | 5 |
The Blackheath train accident occurred at 7:03 a.m. on 25 August 2010 when a Metrorail commuter train crashed into a minibus taxi on the Buttskop Road level crossing in Blackheath, a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa.[1] The minibus was carrying fourteen children to school; nine died on the scene and five were hospitalized.[2] One of the injured children died two days later in the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital.[3] The minibus driver was also hospitalized;[2] there were no injuries aboard the train.[4]
An initial investigation by the Railway Safety Regulator determined that the lights and booms at the crossing were in full working order.[4] Witnesses stated that the minibus drove around a queue of stopped cars and past the closed half-booms blocking the crossing.[5][6] The driver was arrested upon being released from hospital and charged with ten counts of culpable homicide; he was initially held in custody[7] but was later released on bail.[8] On 12 December 2011 he was convicted in the Western Cape High Court on ten counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder.[9]
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