2011 Flores rail crash

2011 Flores rail crash

Flores rail station, location of the 2011 crash
Details
Date 13 September 2011
Location Flores, Buenos Aires
Coordinates 34°37′39″S 58°27′54″W / 34.62750°S 58.46500°WCoordinates: 34°37′39″S 58°27′54″W / 34.62750°S 58.46500°W
Country Argentina
Rail line Sarmiento Line
Operator Trenes de Buenos Aires
Type of incident Collision
Cause Bus driver ignored level crossing warning signals
Statistics
Trains 2 (and 1 bus)
Deaths 11
Injuries 228

The 2011 Flores rail crash occurred at 06.23 ART on 13 September 2011 when a bus on a level crossing at Flores rail station, in the Flores barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was hit by a train on the Sarmiento Line, heading for Moreno.

The Train

The train, operated by Trenes de Buenos Aires, derailed and crashed into a second train, heading for Once in the Balvanera barrio, which was standing at the station. The accident, which occurred during the morning rush hour, resulted in 11 deaths and 228 injuries. The bus, owned by Empresa de Transportes Microomnibus Saenz Peña, was working a scheduled service on route 92, heading for Retiro. Video evidence revealed that the bus driver, who was killed in the accident, ignored warning lights and drove around a partly lowered crossing barrier.

Impact

The impact carried the bus into the station, where it was crushed against a platform. The front carriages of the train derailed, and hit the Once train, which was arriving at the opposite platform. It took firefighters two hours to release one of the train drivers from the wreckage. A total of 100 ambulances and 10 fire engines attended the incident, and some of the injured were ferried to hospital by helicopter. At the time, it was the deadliest rail crash within the city since the Villa Soldati level crossing tragedy in 1962.[1][2][3]

References

  1. "Al Menos Once Muertos y 228 Heridos en la Mayor Tragedia con Trenes en la Ciudad en Casi 50 Años". Clarín (in Spanish) (Buenos Aires). 13 September 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  2. "Argentina Bus and Trains Crash Killing at Least 11". British Broadcasting Corporation. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2012.
  3. "Flores: Removieron el Colectivo de las Vías". Infobae (in Spanish) (Buenos Aires). 13 September 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2012.

External links