Scânteia train accident

The Scânteia train accident occurred on August 14, 2009 at 14:10 local time (UTC+3) when at least 14 people died after a collision between a minibus and a train in Scânteia, Iași County, Romania on County Road 248C.[2][3][4][5] The death toll was initially reported as 10.[6] It was the worst accident in Romania in fifteen years.[7]

Scânteia train accident
Television screenshot of the accident—Antena 3
Map
Details
DateAugust 14, 2009
14:10 (UTC+3)
Locationnear Railway station in Scânteia, Iași County
Coordinates: 46°55′17″N 27°34′07″E / 46.921486°N 27.568517°E / 46.921486; 27.568517
CountryRomania
Statistics
Deaths14 [1]
Injured2

Accident edit

 
The location of Iași County in Romania

A minibus, with 16 people on board, was hit by a train at a railway crossing in the county of Iași, near the town of Scânteia. According to Under-Secretary of State for Health Raed Arafat, 14 people died, including the driver and a child, and three were seriously injured. The bus, which was hit in the centre, was pushed 350 m to Scânteia train station.[8] The train stopped about 350 meters after the impact.[9][10] Train traffic in the region came to a standstill for a time.[8]

The train involved in the accident was operated by private rail company Regiotrans and ran between Iași and Brașov.[6][11]

Victims edit

All of those dead and injured were on the bus; the train passengers were unhurt.[6][10] According to sources cited, some of the passengers were thrown out the vehicle following the impact, while others remained trapped in the minibus. The bus driver, whose age was variously reported as 21[1] or 26,[7] and the other injured persons were reported to be in a state of traumatic coma.[8]

Cause edit

According to the Iași police, the accident occurred because the minibus driver failed to comply with light signals and signs at the railway crossing.[12] The driver died two days later after sustaining fatal injuries.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Romania: New tally of accident in Iasi County: 13 dead, 3 injured". roumanie.com. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  2. ^ "Microbuz lovit de tren în judeţul Iaşi. 13 persoane au murit, printre care şi un copil (VIDEO)" (in Romanian). Antena 3. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on August 16, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  3. ^ "13 persoane şi-au pierdut viaţa după coliziunea dintre un tren şi un microbuz. ATENŢIE, IMAGINI ŞOCANTE!" (in Romanian). Realitatea TV. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  4. ^ "13 morţi şi trei răniţi grav, după ce un microbuz a fost lovit de tren – VIDEO" (in Romanian). Mediafax. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  5. ^ "Scontro tra treno e bus in Romania" (in Italian). Euronews. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on August 21, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c "Ten dead as minibus hits Romanian train". Reuters. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  7. ^ a b Xinhua News Agency (August 14, 2009). "13 killed, 3 seriously injured in bus-train collision in Romania". China Daily. Archived from the original on August 23, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c "Thirteen passengers die after train hits their bus". Romanian Times. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  9. ^ "13 morti, 3 raniti (FOTO SI VIDEO)" (in Romanian). Ziarul de Iasi. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Romanian bus collision kills 11". BBC News. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  11. ^ "13 morti in urma unui grav accident feroviar in judetul Iasi" (in Romanian). Hotnews. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
  12. ^ "13 morţi într-un accident teribil în Iaşi". Evenimentul Zilei (in Romanian). August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2009.

External links edit