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World / Americas

Head-on train collision injures 245 in Costa Rica

Published: 09 Apr 2016 - 12:00 am | Last Updated: 04 Nov 2021 - 06:18 pm
Peninsula

REPRSENTATIVE IMAGE. A scene from a train accident happened in Bravaria, Germany last year. Reuters/Michael Dalder

 

San José: Two trains collided head-on outside the Costa Rican capital San Jose Friday, injuring some 245 people, officials said.

Although most of the injuries were light, television images showed rescue workers rushing some victims to the hospital.

The authorities did not immediately indicate what caused the crash, but initial evidence "points to human error," rail authority chief Guillermo Santana said.

"We will spare no resources in getting to the bottom of this," he told journalists.

The collision occurred in the western suburb of Pavas Friday morning.

Costa Rica has an aging railroad system crisscrossed by busy roads, and accidents are frequent.

However, the country had seen no head-on train collisions since it relaunched its old urban rail system 11 years ago after a decade of inactivity.

AFP