The preliminary enquiry carried out by police into Saturday's Galati railway accident that killed one and left another three injured determined that the needle of the engine's speedometer remained stuck at 75 km/h, and the mechanic reported that the machine picked up speed all of a sudden, despite him trying to activate the braking system.
A criminal case was opened for destruction or faulty signaling, manslaughter and bodily injury; investigations continue in order to clear up the circumstances of the tragic event.
According to the Galati County Police Inspectorate, on March 25 at 19:19 hrs, a double-decker rail car which was parked on line No. 4 of the Galati Rail Station waiting for the formation of the train for the Galati - Marasesti route, was hit head-on by the engine that was supposed to pull the set, driven by the engineer on duty, a 49-year-old man. The impact caused the deformation of the car and sent it recoiling about 80 meters. The trainmaster, the 53-year-old female train conductor, a 53-year-old male passenger, as well as the engineer suffered injuries in the collision, told Agerpres.
The passenger remained stuck in his seat, and the woman went into cardiorespiratory arrest.
After the intervention of the ISU Galati extrication crew and the provision of first aid at the scene, all four victims were taken to the "St. Apostle Andrei" Galati County Clinical Emergency Hospital. The woman succumbed to her injuries.
The other three victims are in a stable condition and remained hospitalized. The engineer and the trainmaster were tested with the Drager breathalyzer and returned a negative result.
Representatives of the Territorial Labor Inspection, the Romanian Rail Investigation Agency - AGIFER, the Regional Auditor and the Galati Rail Repair Service are conducting checks at the site.
Comentează