QCOSTARIC A- A collision between a bus and the commuter train around 3:30pm Friday left 30 people injured, a number requiring hospitalization.
The crash occurred in Barrio Cuba, in the area of the Numar plant, the scene of numerous crashes involving the train. The train tracks run across a curvy road, often not visible to north bound (in the San Jose direction) drivers.
Among the injured were several minors, seniors and a pregnant woman.
Minutes after the collision, several bus passengers could be seen climbing out of the windows, others helping the injured until the Paramedics of the Cruz Roja (Red Cross) and Bomberos (fire fighters) arrived on the scene minutes after the crash.
Aside from the bus and train colliding, two cars also ran into each other, as the bus was dragged by the train.
Luis Salas, Bomberos chief, told the press that some 40 people were travelling in the bus and a number of the injured suffered fractures, taken to the San Juan de Dios hospital and other medical centres.
“This is the fourth collision involving the train at this location,” eye-witness Ivan Guzman told La Nacion, who added that the train was blowing its whistle, but the bus, headed in the direction of San Jose tried to outrun the train.
The last train collision occurred on August 3, in Barrio Escalante. In that accident Marco Vinicio Cespedes lost his life, the collision attributed to the driver’s carelessness.
The accident interrupted the afternoon Belen – Pavas – San Jose train service and caused more than usual traffic congestion, until the accident scene was cleared well after 5:00pm.
Sources: La Nacion, Crhoy, Diario Extra, Facebook, Bomberos
