Bad Season for Accidents
- July 29th, 2013
- Posted by EU Australia
The death toll rose to 39 in 24-hours, from Sunday’s bus crash in Southern Italy; hard after rail disasters in Spain, and earlier, in France.
About 250 kilometers South of Naples, near Avellino, the bus carrying 50 people, a religious group returning from a trip, crashed into several other vehicles then plunged 30-metres down an embankment.
Last Wednesday (24.7.13), in Galicia, near the city of Santiago de Compostela, a train hit a bend too fast, estimated by some at twice the controlled speed, all eight carriages coming off the rails, mostly torn open.
Among casualties, 79 dead, and 130 with injuries, many remaining in a critical condition nearly a week after a crash.
Spanish authorities detained the driver, 52, on charges of reckless homicide.
See the video from camera beside the track:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o32nxuHshv4
In France on the Bastille Day weekend (12.7.13), a train became derailed, ploughing into the station platform at Bretigny-sur-Onge.
Six died, with more than 20 others hurt.
See EUAustralia Online, French rail accident, 18.7.13
The accidents called up some of the worst imaginings of travelers:
Jetting along the Autostrada over deep ravines; or sitting up front in any one Europe’s high speed trains going into a curve; the stability of the heavy vehicle and the automatic braking on one hand, and on the other, the idea it just might be going too fast.
Reference
Aljazeera, Doha, Dozens killed in Italy bus accident, 29.7.13. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/07/2013728232627498604.html,(29.7.13).
BBC, London, Spain train crash: Driver Garzon provisionally charged, 28.7.13. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23480803, (29.7.13).
Euronews, Lyon-Ecully, Italy bus crash death toll rises, 29.7.13. http://www.euronews.com/2013/07/29/italy-bus-crash-death-toll-rises/, (29.7.13).