MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

No fatalities reported after train clash in Buenos Aires

There is a total degradation of the state-run railway company, railway union leader Maturano explained

A train collision at 10.30 am Friday in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo left many people injured but no casualties were reported. While authorities are yet to determine the cause of the accident, railway union leaders blamed the Libertarian administration of President Javier Milei for the faulty signaling which has worsened over the past few months given the increase in copper wiring thefts.

La Fraternidad railway workers' union leader Omar Maturano said that “the passenger train was given freeway, they met and collided.”

“We have been working like this for 10 days because the signaling cables are stolen, we have been demanding that they be repaired but there are no spare parts. There is a total degradation of the company,” he added.

According to local media, a train carrying maintenance materials was stopped on the tracks when it was hit by a seven-car suburban passenger formation. Per Infobae's initial report, the passenger train derailed when it hit the other convoy from behind.

After the impact, Buenos Aires' Medical Emergency Attention System (SAME) teams were dispatched together with firefighters, Federal Police and Civil Defense to assist the victims. By 11.15 am, everybody had been rescued from the train, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA) said in a statement. The document also noted that 30 people were ferried to three nearby hospitals, and 30 others were treated on the spot. Media reports mentioned some 60 people assisted by the San Martín railroad line tracks.