Buenos Aires: A commuter train slammed into a busy Buenos Aires station on Saturday morning, injuring at least 79 people in exactly the same spot where a similar train crash killed 52 others last year. The train went straight through the end-of-line buffers.
The incident echoed the ‘Once Tragedy’ – a crash which occurred at the same station on February 22, 2012. Fifty-two people died when an eight-carriage train struck the buffers at the end-of-the-line station, having entered it at a reported speed of 50 kilometers per hour. The tragedy prompted two days of national mourning.
It is believed that Saturday’s accident was less severe because of decreased weekend commuter numbers and the early hour. However, it will likely renew debate about the state of railway lines in the capital. Following the 2012 tragedy, many politicians and citizens denounced the dismal state of the railway system.