Niël Terblanché
SCORES of passengers miraculously survived after the train they were travelling in derailed in the area of Asab between Keetmanshoop and Mariental late on Wednesday evening.
Initial reports suggested that many people were trapped inside the wreckage after the train fell off a bridge of which the foundations were weakened by heavy rains at the start of this week.
It is believed that the railway gave way under the train as it passed over a bridge causing passenger cars carried by momentum to pile up on top of each other.
It is further suspected that the heavy rains and resulting floods in the area of Asab caused the catastrophic collapse of the railway.
Long distances that ambulances and members of the emergency services from Mariental and Keetmanshoop had to travel meant that more than two hours elapsed before they reached the scene of the accident.
Once emergency services reached the scene a quick assessment established that no fatalities occurred and that most of the people that were trapped inside the mangled passenger cars managed to escape and climb to the safety of solid ground.
The number of people involved and the extent of the injuries they sustained by the victims still have to be determined.
