Altamirano rail disaster
| Altamirano rail disaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Details | |
| Date | February 1, 1964 03:50 [1] |
| Location | Altamirano |
| Country | Argentina |
| Line | Buenos Aires to Mar Del Plata |
| Operator | Ferrocarriles Argentinos |
| Incident type | Head-on collision |
| Cause | Points failure |
| Statistics | |
| Trains | 2 |
| Passengers | 1040 |
| Deaths | 34 |
| Injured | 70 |
The Altamirano rail disaster occurred in 1964 in the city of Altamirano, Buenos Aires, Argentina, when a passenger train collided head on with a freight train, killing 34 people.[1][2]
Overview
[edit]On the morning of February 1, 1964, a diesel-hauled[1] twelve-carriage holiday excursion train left the seaside resort of Mar Del Plata on its 230-mile journey north to the capital, Buenos Aires. It carried 1040 passengers returning home after their summer vacation. At Altamirano, 65 miles south of the capital the Firefly Express as it was called, travelling at 100 km/h[1] crashed head-on with a steam-hauled[1] freight train with a thunderous explosion.
The accident happened 250m from the station at Altamarino.[1] Both locomotives exploded, spreading burning diesel fuel over a wide area. Most in the first carriage died quickly and those in the next two carriages were quickly consumed in the flames. Rescue workers were delayed by the muddy condition of the roads in the area following recent rainstorms. Once they arrived though they were unable to approach the wreck for several hours due to the intense heat. The police doctor, who gave an estimate of 34 deaths, admitted that the exact figure would never be known. "There is no telling how many bodies burned up in the fire". The cause of the disaster was thought to be a fault in the points (switch) which diverted the express into the path of the freight train.[3]
Bibliography
[edit]- Railroad Wrecks by Edgar A. Haine, page 144, publ 1993. ISBN 0-8453-4844-2
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Altamirano, 1964 on Todo Tren website (archived, 9 Mar 2012)
- ^ Accidentes ferroviarios de Argentina, El Día, 16 Feb 2011
- ^ Estación Altamirano: "Febrero de 1964 - Un terrible accidente" on Museo Ferroviario de Ranchos
Railway accidents in 1964 | |
|---|---|
| Location and date |
|
| Main divisions | |
|---|---|
| Commuter rail lines | |
| International | |
| Touristic | |
| Rapid transit and Light rail | |
| Freight lines and facilities | |
| Projects | |
| Accidents | |
| Related topics | |
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
