Villa Soldati bus-train collision
The Villa Soldati level crossing disaster occurred on the morning of June 11, 1962 in the Villa Soldati neighborhood of Buenos Aires, when, in dense fog, a train struck a municipal bus carrying schoolchildren.[2][3] It was one of the worst accidents in the city of Buenos Aires, with the number of fatal victims estimated between 31 and 42.[note 1] Accident The accident happened near Presidente Illia station, where the Belgrano Sur Line train that ran towards the Buenos Aires station crossed Lacarra Avenue at its junction with Veracruz street.[2] The crossing attendant, believing the crossing to be clear, opened the barriers to allow a truck to cross. The truck was followed by the bus,[5] which was carrying 120 children.[1] The bus driver did not hear the warning bell until it was too late.[3] The impact of the train virtually destroyed the bus[2] and pushed part of it 150 yards down the track.[3] Dozens of ambulances and a hundred doctors arrived at the scene. The injured were taken to four different hospitals where a shortage of blood and plasma resulted in an appeal for blood donors, to which 1,500 people responded.[5] Many children were taken to Hospital Piñero in a truck driven by the owner of a nearby greengrocer, while others were taken by colectivos 150 and 101 and firetrucks. At the moment of the accident, the visibility was very low due to thick fog, which was a major cause of the accident.[4] VictimsAs a result, 33 people were killed and 83 injured.[1] Other than the bus driver and a female teacher,[5] the dead were children less than 13-years-old.[2] There were no casualties on the train.[5] Most of the children lived at a shanty town on Lacarra street and were less than 6 years old.[4] A monument was built after the tragedy, marking the scene of the accident.[2] NotesReferences
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