Queronque rail accident

The railway accident of Limache was the head-on collision of two railcars on the rail route Santiago - Valparaíso on 17 February 1986 between the stations Peñablanca and Limache in the Región de Valparaíso and at the same time the most serious railway accident in Chile. At least 58 people died.

Initial situation

Infrastructure

The railway infrastructure in the area of ​​the accident site was severely restricted in their function: After an attack by the left-wing terrorist Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez on a railway bridge six months earlier, the double-track route to be in this section was single track passable. The accident site was located in a terrain cut in a sharp curve, so that the driver could see each other's train at the last moment. The signal areas of the course was from 1928 and was a few days earlier failed. In addition was the phone cord through which the Zugmeldungen were carried out, has been stolen, so the dispatcher could not communicate with each other.

Rolling stock

Both trains were three-piece AES ( Auto Motor Eléctrico Suburbano ) railcar of the railway company Ferrocarril del Norte. Together were in the trains about 1,000 passengers go. One train traveled from Los Andes to Valparaiso, the other was in the opposite direction from Valparaíso to Mapocho Station in Santiago de Chile on the go.

The accident

Because of the defective infrastructure of traffic could only be secured on the track by the trains could travel the route only in strict accordance with the published sequence. Then the dispatcher would have to keep the train from Los Andes railway station in Limache until the return had arrived from Valparaiso. But that he did not, gave him rather the exit freely.

Follow

Counter 19:45 pushed the two trains together head-on. The force of the collision was so strong that the front of both vehicles railcars themselves pushed into each other and formed a debris block of only 5 meters in length. At least 58 dead, 518 injured in addition, 111 of them seriously, were the result. Most people died in the completely squashed front two vehicles of railcars. The numbers were the official. Later still much higher numbers of dead were called.

The rescue measures had to be improvised: It took more than an hour before outside help arrived. The rescue work continued until 11:30 clock the next day. On the platform of the station of Limache a temporary first aid room was furnished. Through the platform speaker was called for blood donations.

The former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet visited the injured in hospital and said to compensation, which should be guided by the road accident.

Following the accident the passenger has given up on the railway line between Santiago and Valparaiso. It was not until 1992 train radio was installed, it was resumed. Today it is operated by the Metro Valparaíso.