Villa Soldati level crossing tragedy
Villa Soldati level crossing disaster | |
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![]() The bus after the impact | |
Details | |
Date | June 11, 1962 |
Location | Villa Soldati, Buenos Aires |
Country | Argentina |
Line | Belgrano Sur Line |
Operator | Ferrocarriles Argentinos |
Incident type | Level crossing collision |
Cause | Crossing operator error |
Statistics | |
Trains | 1 |
Deaths | 33 [1] |
Injured | 83 |
The Villa Soldati level crossing disaster occurred on the morning of June 11, 1962 in the Villa Soldati neighborhood of Buenos Aires, when, in dense fog, a train struck a municipal bus carrying schoolchildren.[2][3]
It was one of the worst accidents in the city of Buenos Aires, with the number of fatal victims estimated between 31 and 42.[note 1]
Accident[]
The accident happened near President Illia Station, where the Belgrano Sur Line train that ran towards the Buenos Aires station crossed Lacarra Street at its junction with Veracruz street.[2] The crossing attendant, believing the crossing to be clear, opened the barriers to allow a truck to cross. The truck was followed by the bus,[5] which was carrying 120 children.[1] The bus driver did not hear the warning bell until it was too late.[3] The impact of the train virtually destroyed the bus[2] and pushed part of it 150 yards down the track.[3]
Dozens of ambulances and a hundred doctors arrived at the scene. The injured were taken to four different hospitals where a shortage of blood and plasma resulted in an appeal for blood donors, to which 1,500 people responded.[5] Many children were taken to Hospital Piñero in a truck driven by the owner of a nearby greengrocer, while others were taken by colectivos 150 and 101 and firetrucks. At the moment of the accident, the visibility was very low due to thick fog, which was a major cause of the accident.[4]
Victims[]
As a result, 33 people were killed and 83 injured.[1] Other than the bus driver and a female teacher,[5] the dead were children less than 13-years-old.[2] There were no casualties on the train.[5] Most of the children lived at a shanty town on Lacarra street and were less than 6 years old.[4]
A monument was built after the tragedy, marking the scene of the accident.[2]
Notes[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d EL ANTECEDENTE MAS TRAGICO EN LA CIUDAD FUE EN 1962, CON 33 MUERTOS, Clarín, 14 Sep 2011
- ^ a b c d e Tragedias ferroviarias en Argentina on Foro de Transportes (archived, 11 July 2011)
- ^ a b c The Times, Jun 12, 1962 page 10
- ^ a b c Un suceso que enlutó a familias obreras by Miguel Ruffo on Tras Cartón, June 2012
- ^ a b c d Railroad Wrecks by Edgar A. Haine, pages 143–144, Publ 1993 ISBN 0-8453-4844-2
Coordinates: 34°39′56″S 58°26′57″W / 34.66556°S 58.44917°W
- Railway accidents in 1962
- 1962 road incidents
- Level crossing incidents in Argentina
- Railway accidents involving fog
- Road accidents involving fog
- Bus incidents in Argentina
- 1962 in Argentina
- 1960s in Buenos Aires
- June 1962 events in South America
- Rail transport in Buenos Aires