Scenes of chaos and panic gripped passengers travelling on the ill-fated Metrorail train 9457 from Pretoria to Ga-rankuwa when it collided head-on with train 9478 from De Wildt to Pretoria station on Monday evening.

Thabo Matseke, a passenger on the train, was returning home after a hard day`s work at Mercedes Benz in Pretoria West, when the accident happened.

He said he was gripped with fear and anxiety when he heard a loud crashing sound as commuters flew off their seats and collided with one another amid screams and bleeding. He said some commuters jumped through train windows in order to escape.

“The train was slowing down as normal as it approached the platform but then suddenly there was a screeching sound of brakes and then a big crashing sound on impact as it hit the oncoming train. Panicked commuters screamed as they were flung around the carriage‚” he said.

Matseke immediately phoned a senior Public Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) manager living in the area and within 15 minutes of the call‚ ambulances began to arrive.

Metrorail spokesperson Lillian Mofokeng said although the exact cause of the accident was still under investigation‚ “the two trains were seen travelling on the same track”.

Mofokeng gave the number of injured as 216, but only 38 required minor to moderate treatment.

Tshwane emergency services personnel were on site till the late hours of the night‚ with Prasa officials combing the scene for evidence.

Scores of passengers were stranded for hours‚ as buses later ferried them to their destinations.

Mofokeng said as of this morning, the train service for Ga-Rankuwa commuters has been restored.

De Wildt trains are using a single line between Rosslyn and De Wildt stations, resulting in delays of approximately 40 minutes.

21/02/2017
@AhmedWajah