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The Rhodesia Herald,

February 18, 1969

A BLAZING inferno in a commuter train this afternoon outside Langlaagte Station in Johannesburg, South Africa, killed at least 13 Africans.

Many more passengers including two white railway workers were in critical condition tonight. The Minister of Transport, Mr BJ Schoeman, is to issue a statement on the incident tomorrow.

The fire started when a petrol truck being shunted was overturned. The spilling petrol caught alight, and six more petrol trucks caught fire.

The passenger train caught fire as it passed by.

Some of the Africans injured have up to 95 percent burns. Witnesses described how they saw “human torches” run from the train. Some said there was a loud clang, followed by an explosion which could be heard more than a mile away.

A wall of flame shot 100 feet into the air, engulfing six coaches of the passenger train. Two white ticket examiners, Mr S.H Roets (46) and Mr Johan Viljoen (23), who were not accounted for in earlier casualty figures, were found wandering 300 yards from the scene of the accident. They were severely burnt.

Mr Roets’s wife collapsed on seeing him and had to be treated for shock. The couple have three school-going daughters. Mr Viljoen’s fiancée, Miss Martie Cronje, was not allowed to see him because of his severe state.

Fire engines and ambulances from all surrounding areas were called out as the burning petrol gushed and spread over an area of about half a square mile.

Railway coaches and tracks buckled in the searing heat. Smoke from the inferno was visible in most of Johannesburg’s western suburbs.

Overhead electric cables melted, cutting power so that thousands of commuters to the West Rand were stranded. Policemen with dogs were called to the crash to hold back spectators who brought road traffic in the area to a standstill. There were grizzly scenes as people died in the flames. Seared forms lay amid the tracks. Other victims waited helplessly, their clothes burnt off their bodies.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

• The transportation of hazardous substances, especially fuel, requires the highest degree of care. In the event of spillages, there is need for immediate containment of the scene to avoid loss of life.
• There has been a lot of incidents where containment of the accident scene has taken longer than usual resulting in deaths after the substances caught fire.
• Emergency services should periodically hold drills to ensure that they are adequately prepared and ready to deal with such disasters. In most cases the ability of emergency services to respond in the shortest possible time can make a difference between life and death.
• Railway authorities and other companies that deal with hazardous substances should ensure that control signals and mechanisms are always in place and are constantly updated to ensure the safe and efficient movement of cargo and people.