South Africa train crash: At least 250 passengers injured in collision in Johannesburg (PHOTO)

At least 250 people have been injured in a peak hour train collision in the South African city of Johannesburg. One train was reported to have ploughed into a stationary train near Booysens station as workers headed home from the city. Badly injured people were carried to dozens of waiting ambulances as shocked passengers sat on the ground and received treatment for minor injuries.

 "Emergency services are still at the scene and at this point in time a total of 250 patients have been attended to and have been transported to various hospitals for further medical care," said Santi Steinmann, a spokeswoman for the emergency services. "There are still patients at the scene and their number are expected to grow. "Fortunately there are no fatalities of critically injured patients." Some passengers were given medical care inside the wrecked carriages before being carefully lifted down a steep embankment on stretchers. A commuter told local media that one train derailed and hit the other, although rail authorities at the scene said the cause of the crash was still be determined. The accident happened at the height of the evening rush hour when the trains were packed with people heading from Johannesburg city centre to residential areas. Buses were laid on to take uninjured passengers home, while train services were disrupted across the south of the city. The last major train crash in South Africa was in April when a guard was killed and 240 people injured in a similar accident in Johannesburg as two crowded commuter trains collided.

AFP/BBC