Four Killed When Trains Collide

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1948, Page 5

Four Killed When Trains Collide

Eefoivod Wodnesdav, 7 p.m. LOXDOX, Dec. 1. Thick fog hampered resctie operations f'ollowing the collision ot' two trains on a viaduct at Ktockport, fheshire, in whicli four were killed and 50 injured. Of the injured, 21 were admitted to hos])ital. When tliev heard a terrifie crash, the atation stalf stunibled down the line in 1 visiliility of only a few vards, to the viadurt which is just outsude Ktockport station. Flares and arc lamps were quickiy rigged ar'ound the erashed eoai'hes from which vines for help were f'Oining, while water and morphia was brought hy ambulance men and doetors. Mtretcher jiarties were organised to .•arry the injured back along the line to the station. A general alarm was sounded and all nvailable polive, ambnlances and railwaynien were ealled out to tlfe viaduct, Stockport Infirniary prepared alf ;emef;. gency ward for easualties. ; • * ef The arnbulances had to travel at a erawling pace to the viaduct and back to fhe hospital with the injured becatise of the thickness of the fog. Three, hours after the crash, injured were stili arriving in ambnlances at Stockport Inlirniary. Emergencv operations were performed in a number o'f cases. There were hundreds of passengers in the two trains which were erowded to eapacity and it was lucky that neither erashed over the side of the viadtiet after the inipavt. Many are believed to have been injured in falling from doors to the viaduct track in the darkness and fog. Eescue workers. armed with axes and r-rowbars, worked for half an hour in swirling fog to release two women and a man trapped in the teleseoped front c.arriage of one of the passenger trains which collided 15 miles south of Birmingham. One of the passengers said: "The train stopped as though it had hil a brick wall. There was terrilie eonfusi'on in the fog and darkness. "