Wheels of fire
A Metrorail passenger train caught fire when it stopped at the Pollak Park train station on the evening of December 10.
The train, which was travelling from the Springs station and was destined for Johannesburg, caught fire at its second stop.
“The middle carriage started burning which caused the carriage behind it to catch alight, so there were two carriages on fire,” said William Ntladi, media liaison officer for Disaster and Ekurhuleni Emeregency Services.
Luckily, because the train was at the station and not moving, all the passengers were able to vacate the train.
“Six people were taken to Far East Rand Hospital, five with minor injuries and one with serious injuries,” said Ntladi.
The fire was contained and put out quickly by the fire department and the train was removed from the tracks to allow other trains to pass by.
According to Ntladi, it is thought the cause of the fire was a mechanical failure but investigations are being conducted by Metrorail and the Springs police into the exact cause.
