Pretoria – Two people died and 13 others were injured in an accident involving a taxi and a freight train between the Umhlathi and Compensation stations in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday evening.
The Railway Safety Regulator said on Monday it had dispatched inspectors to the site of the incident.
At 8.48pm on Sunday night, the driver of a taxi coming from Umhlanga lost control of his vehicle as he was approaching the T-junction of a road over a rail bridge.
He hit the guardrail and concrete wall and then the taxi then fell onto the railway line. The taxi was then hit by a Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) timber train.
“Paramedics at the scene recorded two fatalities and 13 people who sustained serious injuries were transported to nearby hospitals. RSR extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes the injured a speedy recovery,” said the regulator.
It urged motorists to adhere to road signs and treat roads over rail crossings with caution.
The regulator said the affected section of the line had been cleared and is fully operational. – SAnews.gov.za
