MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Train crash in Buenos Aires leaves 49 dead and at least 600 injured
At least 49 people were killed and 600 injured after a train crashed early Wednesday morning while pulling into one of Buenos Aires main railway stations, city officials confirmed. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesA rather odd crash.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 06:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0RIP
Yes, There is a reason behind it, cheap train tickets, No maintenance, No safety regulations, No limit on passengers.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 06:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0A sad day in Argentina, one of those seemingly meaningless events that destroys the lives of many decent people who will arrive home without a loved one.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 07:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Rest in peace to the ones that have been lost.
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive” Mr D. Lama, India.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 07:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0May the big G man bless their souls, onto their next journey.
Condolences to the bereaved and injured.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 07:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This is very sad but inevitable. I took the Victoria line every once in a while when I lived there. It was the best of the worst. They pack people in them, leave the doors open, cars and people cross the tracks with no warning signals it they're really dirty. I doubt maintenance has been done for years on most of them.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 07:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I don't know how they could afford to maintain them when the price of a ticket to go 20-30 miles is u$.50 or less.
Our thoughts and prayers for all those involved, their families and also the emergency/rescue services .
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 09:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0This is a terrible tragedy.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 10:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Very sad, of course. But, truth be told, a fitting metaphor for how the country is run.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 10:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The reason they will never learn is because these people STILL look at discipline as an obstacle to their “freedom”, instead of looking at it for what it is - the source of all creativity and love - and Public Safety!!!!
Thanks Menem for not including the regular maintenance of the trains in the privatization agreements.
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 11:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 010 JuanStanic (#)
Feb 22nd, 2012 - 11:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Feb 22nd, 2012 - 11:03 pm
Report abuse
Thanks Menem for not including the regular maintenance of the trains in the privatization agreements.
Yeah, right, it's all Menem's fault.
What a Loser.
@11
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 12:26 am - Link - Report abuse 0Not it's not all his fault. The only one who said that was you. I just blamed him for not including regular maintenance of the trains in the agreements, that's it.
But what to expect from someone who believes it's right to interpret my words as he pleases and think it's what I actually said.
#10: Menem has been gone from office since 1999, for chrissake! Stop making excuses for CFK & clown's breathtaking incompetence.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 12:27 am - Link - Report abuse 0@13
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 01:09 am - Link - Report abuse 0You are absolutely right. But Menem should have done that. He did the privatizations. Not that CFK shouldn't impose it now anyway.
Comment removed by the editor.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 01:50 am - Link - Report abuse 0Comment removed by the editor.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 02:37 am - Link - Report abuse 0Comment removed by the editor.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 03:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0It´s a very sad day in Argentina
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 03:05 am - Link - Report abuse 0Who are they blaming? Well, if it isn't CFK!! Let's hope she gets voted out. This woman is a terrible leader.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 03:19 am - Link - Report abuse 0I am no fan of Menem, but the present day trains are run part and parcel by the CFK government, period .
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 04:09 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well same policies some results, Menem privatisation was a disaster for Argentina like Margaret/tories in Britain. Menem gave contracts to the private operators to do whatever they want for 20 years.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:25 am - Link - Report abuse 0Doing business as usual
http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/24383/
“This paper investigates trends in the frequencies and numbers of fatalities in fatal train collisions, derailments and buffer overruns on the national railway system of Great Britain. The main part of the paper is based on the 31-year period 1967-1997. After the paper had been completed, but before it was due to be published, the most serious train accident for more than a decade occurred on 5 October 1999, at Ladbroke Grove in London, in which 31 people lost their lives. That accident was by far the most severe ever to have occurred in Great Britain with modern rolling stock; it leads to an upward revision in the current and future fatalities in train accidents. To provide a context for the interpretation of the Ladbroke Grove accident, and to avoid the temptation of being wise after the event, the main part of the paper is presented exactly as it was finalised before the accident; a postscript is then added to update the conclusions. Railway safety has improved over the long term: even after including the Ladbroke Grove accident in the data, the paper estimates that the current mean frequency of accidents from all causes is just over 1 per year, and the mean number of fatalities in such accidents is about 4 per year”
My heart goes out to all the victims of this tragic even.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 11:46 am - Link - Report abuse 0May you find peace.
As for those defending Menem, you guys crack me up.
No wonder this country is condemned to a lifetime of mediocrity. When we will learn?.
I'm not defending Menem. I just object to people using him to make excuses for NK & CFK's appalling record on public transportation. The kirchnerites have reversed many of Menem's policies when it suited them. This is the government that killed the AFJPs and robbed the pension funds of millions of argentines (mine included). This is the government that revoked the postal service privatization in 2003. However, for some reason they didn't do anything meaningful to improve the trains in eight years.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 12:44 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I am convinced RGs are paid to post on this site. I refuse to believe they are as stupid as they appear.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 01:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 021. Comparing UK trains to ARG trains only tells me you have never been to a civilized country. Just a couple of examples,we don't travel with the train doors open nor can people hop on and off while the train is moving.
14. Privatization works in other countries, you can't blame a Prez from 23 years ago for something that happened today. The Ks have destroyed most of the country with transportation just being one of the many things. How can the train company do maintenance when they can't raise fares, import parts etc etc etc.
Look at what CFK is doing to YPF today. They are driving the company to be unprofitable and in then they wonder why they don't explore? I don't know if they don't see the whole picture or if they don't care. It is truly astounding how dumb your gov't is.
Rip what a horrible disaster.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 01:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Train privatisation did not work in the UK it's just we have thrown money at the problem higher fares worse service more subsidy more accidents as well.
@15 @ 16 @ 20
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 01:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Muchachos, los vagones son de 1961 o me equivoco ?
@16
Juanito, I do remember what happened in 76, we fought terrorism and we won. We should have called for elections right away but that's a different issue all together.
When are you guys going to get rid of CFK?? Just a question
@17 You are absolutely right !
@24
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 05:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If they were a good and responsible company and if they knew the trains needed maintenance(as 99% of Argentines do know), they would have either suspended the service or cancel the privatization contract. It's not as if they didn't know this could happen.
@26
Como minimo.
It's not as if we could. The military wasn't very willing of giving up power and people was tired of the democracy, a one on which they had lost hope.
Well, I'm doing quite fine. As long as the government doesn't meddle with Brazilian tourism I can't complain.
But really, I helped to try to get rid of her. I was for Alfonsin before I realized he was too damn stupid. So I went for Rodriguez Saa, who all in all is a good statesman.
27. They couldn't cancel serviced without ending up in jail at best or dead at worst! You know how your country operates.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 06:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Look at what they are doing to YPF, the are required to supply diesel to their stations, or be fined, the gov't isn't letting them use U$ to buy the diesel, which MUST be imported so they are stuck. What should do? If it were me running YPF I would get out of the country NOW.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Falklands-prosperous-land-argentine-and-British/388770114483548
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@28
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I know. They could have cancelled the contract.
You don't have an idea what's like when there isn't fuel for like 3 days. This has been happening for years. They can explore. And start production in that big depot they found in Patagonia.
Juanito,
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0If we were self sufficient at one point (in the 80's) , what is going on right now that we are not ? Just a question
@27
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0people were tired of the democracy .... is not that , el pais era un gran quilombo with Lopez Rega, Isabelita and Co .... what a disaster !
@32
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I didn't mean of democracy as a whole. I wanted to refer to the last democratic governments. They were tired of that. Quilombo, montoneros, gremialistas, inflacion, guerrillas, la triple A, los puterios en el gobierno.
@33
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0True !
30. Just because they MAY have found a large field it will be YEARS before it can come on line. You don't have any infrastructure and it requires technology you don't have to get it to market. It may be 10 years before you will see any of that o/g.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You can blame the Ks on the poor o/g business in Arg just like Chavez and Evo ruined o/g business in their countries. Arg has taken some of the same policies and DESTROYED the business. With oil at U$100 barrel your country can't afford to import it! If you think waiting 3 days is bad wait until this winter...
@35
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 07:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Well, I know the times. The technology we have it. But anyway, they should start now to produce the oil. Personally, I believe that with rather normal effort we can see it in 5 to 6 years.
I blame them on that. But, it all started before them, which is not to forget.
And I know the price. Who knows. Maybe the reason why they don't explote or explore for new oil is to save it for when it starts lacking in the world. Now that would surprise more than one.
I believe winter has more to do with gas. Anyway I have a split, so I don't care much on it.
Given the abysmal state of the infrastructure on the rail and roads I am surprised there are not MORE deaths than even this lot.
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 08:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Safety is a state of mind: there are NO accidents; there is always a cause and it invariably comes back to human error at some point in the investigation.
@37
Feb 23rd, 2012 - 11:35 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We should wait till the investigations give us an image of why it happened. Nevertheless it's for the government to take a chance at making things better.
You can try to prevent human error, but you can't erase or impede it.
38 JuanStanic
Feb 24th, 2012 - 05:52 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I hope you do not think I was being judgemental with regard to the driver or loacal staff, because I was not. They cannot correct the incompetent management of the railways or roads.
Only the MANAGEMENT can do that AND that will be where the problem rests.
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!